You May Have Skills, But Do You Have Taste?

I say all the time, ‘You can teach people how to use tools, but it takes a lot longer for them to develop taste’.

This applies mostly to design, branding, etc. But here’s another angle I’ve noticed throughout my career, which is similar. If you hire a marketing leader who has an MBA, 20+ years of experience, know the ins and outs of CRO, SEO, PPC and every other three-letter abbreviation you can think of… But if they have bad judgement, then they can easily steer your brand in the wrong direction.

Judgement, like taste, takes years and a special talent to cultivate. It’s really difficult to teach that. I’ve met a million people who’s ideas are just goofy, come out of left-field, or overall lack perspective. 

It’s the difference between linear thinking vs systems thinking. They make a decision or pitch an idea in a vacuum without considering all the causal effects of the interconnected components of that idea.

Some may call this short-sighted or myopic.

I see it all the time. And what makes it worse are those who’s egos won’t allow for any opposing viewpoint, or alternative idea to challenge their idea. They may think, ‘Well, Steve Jobs was headstrong so that’s how I must be if I want to be a successful business person.’

Good judgement is knowing the difference between a good idea and a bad idea, and years of experience doesn’t always teach that. Some people have 20 years later and this person is still pitching bad ideas.