When it comes to learning, the process can be divided into two key components: the what and the how. Understanding these components is essential to mastering any skill or discipline, whether in personal development, professional growth, or life in general.
The What: Understanding Content
When you first learn something, you focus on the what—the content of the subject. This answers the fundamental question, “What are you talking about?” Gaining knowledge about the what is relatively straightforward. It involves:
- Learning concepts and theories.
- Studying from books, mentors, or experts.
- Asking questions and seeking clarification.
Even in complex or intricate fields, acquiring the what is primarily a matter of time and effort. It can be intellectually demanding, but it is a process of accumulation and comprehension.
The How: The Challenge of Execution
Once you grasp the what, the real test begins: learning how to apply it. This transition from understanding to action is where most people struggle. The how represents:
- Action and Implementation: Turning knowledge into practical steps.
- Skills and Ability: Demonstrating competence in real-world scenarios.
- Process over Content: Moving from intellectual understanding to active execution.
Richard Kovacevich, former CEO of Wells Fargo, emphasized the critical importance of execution over strategy:
“I could leave our strategic plan on a plane, and it wouldn’t make any difference. No one could execute it. Our success has nothing to do with planning. It has to do with execution.”
This underscores a crucial point: success isn’t about knowing what to do—it’s about doing it effectively.
The Gap Between Knowing and Doing
Why is the how so difficult? It requires more than just intellectual understanding. Effective execution demands qualities like:
- Self-Management: Staying focused and disciplined.
- Emotional Intelligence: Navigating interpersonal dynamics with empathy and clarity.
- Persistence and Resilience: Overcoming setbacks and staying committed.
For instance, take a simple strategy like “listen to your client and meet them at their model of the world.” While easy to understand conceptually, implementing it in real-time requires attentiveness, emotional regulation, and flexibility.
Similarly, strategies in personal relationships—conflict resolution, parenting, or leadership—are simple in theory but difficult in practice. The challenge lies in living the strategy, not just understanding it.
The Risk of Rigidity in Strategy
A rigid or absolute approach to strategy can limit flexibility and adaptability, especially in uncertain or changing environments. Problems arise when strategies are treated as:
- The Final Word: Believing a strategy is universally correct without context.
- Infallible: Refusing to adapt strategies based on feedback or new circumstances.
For any strategy to succeed, it must be applied with the right mindset. Even doing the right thing in the wrong way can lead to failure.
NLP and the How
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is fundamentally a how model. It explores both expertise and limitations by asking questions like:
- “How do you do that?”
- “How do you know that?”
However, NLP often overlooks the meta-levels of the mind—those higher-order processes of self-reflection and consciousness that govern execution.
Neuro-Semantics and the Meta-How
Neuro-Semantics builds on NLP by focusing on the “inner game.” This approach identifies two dimensions of the how:
#1 Behavioral How:
- What actions are needed to perform a task?
- How do you physically carry out these actions?
#2 Mental-Emotional How:
- How do you think to motivate yourself to take action?
- How do you manage your emotional state to ensure consistent performance?
This second dimension, the meta-how, involves going beyond surface actions to understand the mental structures that drive behavior. By exploring the “Meta Place” and using the 12 to 18 landmarks of the mind, you can uncover the invisible strategies behind human experience.
Conclusion: Bridging the Gap
Success lies in mastering both the what and the how. While understanding content is essential, the ability to execute—practically, emotionally, and mentally—is what truly makes the difference.
To close the gap:
- Focus on process as much as content.
- Cultivate self-awareness to manage your inner game.
- Stay adaptable, refining strategies to fit the context.
Ultimately, it’s not just about being smart; it’s about being wise enough to act effectively when it matters most.
Curated by Danielle Tan.
Reference:
- [Neurons] 2024 Neurons #55 THE WHAT AND THE HOW by L. Michael Hall, Ph.D. Executive Director, ISNS.
