How did you learn to type? Did you (A) receive instruction; or, (B) did you figure it out for yourself?

If you're like me, the answer is (C) both. I took a typing class in high school, but had to teach myself how to cut and paste (and more recently, how to use my thumbs).

The point is, most everything we do combines formal instruction with trial and error. Otherwise, there can be gaps in our understanding or performance. And the same is true with recruiting.

For example, some recruiters are information addicts. They constantly seek out all manner of training and coaching, but seem to make the same mistakes over and over again.
At the other extreme are the autodidacts—those who are totally self-taught. As a trainer, autodidactic recruiters drive me crazy, because you can't teach them anything. By nature, they're resistant to any method they didn't figure out for themselves.

I've found that the most successful people—recruiters or otherwise—are receptive to training and eager to stand on the shoulders of giants. They're comfortable working within a system, as long as they get good results.

But people also have a sixth sense for when a system breaks down, or they need an answer that can’t be found online or in their training materials. At that point, their inner coach kicks in, and they begin to look for ways to solve problems, or at the very least, learn from their mistakes.

That's why I love the expression, "Success is a poor teacher." No matter how rigorous your training, there's no better—or more personal—learning experience than a setback or a failure. Being forced to learn on the fly can be difficult and frustrating. But as Tony Robbins once observed, there's a lot to be gained from turning the frustration of a problem into fascination for the solution.

Giant leaps in proficiency rarely occur as a result of preparation alone. Rather, success has a way of arriving just in time, at that lonely intersection where formal training and the need for self-preservation collide.