| Now that the presidential campaigns are underway,
we can expect to hear a lot on the topic of experience.
How much does it really matter when we consider job qualifications? Here in Illinois, we learned
that extolling the virtues of experience can backfire. It was
1976. The democrats slated a gubernatorial candidate with over
20 years of state government experience to run against a young,
Republican, US
Attorney.
Democrat Michael Howlett was a Chicago Machine backed
candidate who had risen through the ranks of state politics to
become both State Auditor and Secretary of State. From the beginning
of the campaign, the Democrat's promotions emphasized the contrast between Howlett's
decades of state government experience with the fact that Jim
Thompson had none. Case closed? Far from it.
For all his experience, Mr. Howlett could not hold a candle to his
opponent as an orator. Whenever the democratic hopeful spoke,
some wondered how people ever got their license plates on time.
Mr. Thompson put his experience as
an accomplished
prosecutor to use. He crafted his response to
the experience challenge by asking a simple, cutting question...
|
Ask yourself: Does he have 25 years of
experience, or one year of experience 25 times?
- James R. Thompson |
 Game,
set, match! In the minds of the voters, perceived competency outweighed two decades of showing up for
work.
The Thompson Center in downtown
Chicago (left) now serves as a monument to Jim Thompson's election victory
and subsequent successful reign as Governor. State government monuments to
Republicans in Chicago are very rare.
The late Mr. Howlett
took the loss and all of his "experience" to the private sector.
We can thank him for reminding us that people who live in glass
houses should not throw stones.
I do not offer this story to predict that charisma will
prevail over experience in November. Instead, I suggest that
Jim Thompson gave us all something to consider about
our own level of experience and soft skills. So, ask yourself...
What have you done to avoid
having your experience challenged in similar fashion?
What should you be doing in the
near future?
On a scale of 1 to 10, how do
you rate your communication skills? Are they an asset or
liability?
As you continue to become both more
experienced
and more skilled as a communicator, might someone name a big,
glass house after you? |
