It’s not what you know - it’s what you DO with what you know

Posted by Brendon Walsh on 29 August 2017

“Knowledge is power,” isn’t it? We hear it all the time out there as the case for more education. Education is really important, and when considering having a vast array of knowledge versus having very little, more knowledge is definitely the way to go in terms of improving outcomes in life. The awareness changes of what is possible and what can be achieved, and that gives a much greater chance of more favourable outcomes. But, if we stop there and accept that as the end of the story, we are selling ourselves short.

At the end of the day, any outcome is decided by what is actually done, what actually happens or what actually takes place. In other words, it’s not what you know that counts, it’s what you do with what you know.

Although true throughout life in general, this particularly applies to the farming industry. I have seen this time and again, as well as having experienced it personally. My recent blogs outline some examples, such as prioritising the importance of the goal or fear to then be able to step out and make necessary changes, varying stocking rates to create ideal target pasture covers instead of carrying on with maximum numbers of animals in the mistaken belief that more animals always mean more money, clarifying the goal to allow forward movement instead of staying stuck where you are, or creating advantages from a disruptive future instead of holding on and seeing what happens. We can go and get all the knowledge we like but if we do nothing positive with it, or don’t make positive changes to account for the new knowledge, guess what? Nothing changes! And as the saying goes, “if nothing changes, nothing changes.”

Education and new knowledge are important, don’t get me wrong, and I applaud those who have a thirst for education. Just ensure that as a farmer you work out how to implement that knowledge to help you achieve what you really want, and that you actually go and do those steps. Yes, actually implement them.

Results of some kind will occur and you will learn by direct feedback how well your implementation delivered for you. From there you make adjustments (additions, subtractions, tweaks) to do even better next time. This is where the real education takes place - learning through implementation. People tend to grow because experience multiplies the effectiveness of the original education. Ensure that you put as much, if not more energy into your system for delivering on the knowledge, than you do to obtain it.

One of my clients used to do OK with his farming practice - he would get through the year but not have much spare cash. He was keen to make a change so he took on the GrowFARM® System because he could see that although he was doing OK, he wouldn’t reach the goals that he and his family had set for their future. After learning how profit worked and how to go about creating it, he decided to drop 1000 ewes and still ended up selling the same number of lambs as before the change, in a quicker time frame. More profit dropped out the bottom, not to mention him being ahead of the game on decisions, everything working much easier and having happier staff.

Yes, he obtained more knowledge but he would have received none of those benefits above if he stayed doing what he had been doing. Now, the number and speed of feedback loops has ramped up and regardless of the year and conditions he is experiencing, he is confident of delivering profit and having flexibility. He knows what it takes and he does what it takes.

This shows the value of knowledge and action together. Both are important together, not one separate from the other. So, knowledge is not power, it is potential power. Ultimately, it is what you do with what you know that makes the difference.

If you are curious about how the GrowFARM® System can help sheep and beef farmers generate the profits they really want, contact me here.