The process

“The process can be illustrated as follows: let's say we're learning to play the piano, or we're starting a new job where we need to acquire certain skills.

At first, we are strangers.

Our first impressions of the piano or the work environment are based on pre-judgements and often contain an element of fear. When we first study the piano, the keyboard looks rather intimidating - we don't understand the relationships between keys, chords, pedals and everything else that goes into creating music.

In a new work situation, we're unaware of the power relationships between people, the psychology of our boss, the rules and procedures that are considered essential to success. We are confused, the knowledge we need in both cases is over our heads.

Although we may go into these situations excited about what we can learn or do with our new skills, we soon realise how much hard work lies ahead.

The great danger is that we give in to feelings of boredom, impatience, fear and confusion. We stop observing and learning.

The process stops.

If, on the other hand, we manage these emotions and allow time to take its course, something remarkable begins to take shape. As we continue to observe and follow the example of others, we gain clarity, learning the rules and seeing how things work and fit together.

If we keep practising, we become more comfortable; basic skills are mastered, allowing us to take on newer and more exciting challenges. We begin to see connections that were previously invisible to us.

We slowly gain confidence in our ability to solve problems or overcome obstacles through sheer perseverance.

At some point, we move from student to practitioner. We try out our own ideas, getting valuable feedback in the process. We use our growing knowledge more and more creatively. Instead of simply learning how others do things, we bring our own style and individuality into play.

As the years go by and we remain faithful to this process, another leap is made — towards mastery. The keyboard is no longer something outside us; it's internalized and part of our nervous system, part of our fingertips.

In our careers, we now have a sense of the dynamics of the group, of the current state of affairs. We can apply this feeling to social situations, see more deeply into others and anticipate their reactions. We can make quick and very creative decisions. Ideas come to us.

We have learned the rules so well that we can now be the only ones to break or rewrite them.

In the process leading to this ultimate form of power, we can identify three distinct phases or levels.

The first is learning; the second is practice; the third is mastery.

In the first phase, we stand outside our domain, learning as much as we can about the basic elements and rules. We only have a partial picture of the terrain and our powers are therefore limited.

In the second phase, through a lot of practice and immersion, we see inside the machinery, how things connect to each other, and so gain a more complete understanding of the subject. With this comes a new power — the ability to experiment and play creatively with the elements involved.

In the third phase, our degree of knowledge, experience and concentration is so profound that we can now see the whole situation with complete clarity."

— Mastery, Robert Greene