Circle of Competence

In one of his volumes on mental models, Shane Parrish introduces the idea of a circle of competence. This may refer to areas where you are knowledge and skilled.

But how do you build and maintain a circle of competence? Keep learning and updating your knowledge. The author makes it clear that “one of the essential requirements of a circle of competence is that you can never take it for granted. You can’t operate as if a circle of competence is a static thing, that once attained is attained for life. The world is dynamic. Knowledge gets updated, and so too must your circle.”

Three necessary practices needed to build and maintain a circle of competence: curiosity and a desire to learn, monitoring, and feedback. Remember that learning comes when experience meets reflection.

The author emphasizes that building a circle of competence takes time. As he puts it, a circle of competence cannot be built quickly. Building a solid circle of competence demands understanding  and there is no shortcut to understanding.

Building a circle of competence takes years of experience, of making mistakes, and of actively seeking out better methods of practice and thought.

Stay in your lane. Be close and around your circle of competence. When outside your circle of competence, be humble and open to learn from the experts.

I’m no genius. I’m smart in spots—but I stay around those spots. — Thomas Watson

You don’t have to learn everything on your own. You can, and should, learn from others — even from their mistakes. A nice quote from the book captures this poignantly:

Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself. — Anonymous