Frequently we receive calls or e-mails from people asking if it is really worth their time to attend a seminar, purchase a product, earn a certification or join a coaching program. When we launch a new product, we get calls from customers asking if they can return it if they don’t like it. This is before they even invest in the product.

I am not sure what determines a person’s views on investing in their own personal knowledge and improvement; could it be genetic, or a bad experience in the past, or possibly a learned response?

It is understandable when someone purchases an item that didn’t work, or it was completely not what they wanted. But to have such a lack of thirst in wanting to get more knowledge and better themselves is hard for me to comprehend.

I certainly do not expect people to be as crazy as I am about investing in their knowledge, but I feel frustrated because it is so obvious they don’t get the big picture. The old saying, “you get out of it what you put in it” is so relevant.

When there is a product out there that might give me even one tip on how to coach better I am all over it. I have literally purchased products that have nothing at all to do with my work, but I wanted to know something about it.

Let’s shift gears for a moment and talk athletic and sports skills performance. My daughter Jae plays point guard on our sixth grade team. She has learned to handle the ball pretty well for her age. She will go through stretches where she likes to put in extra practice and it shows. But then because she doesn’t want to or she just doesn’t have time she won’t get much practice for 2 or 3 weeks and it shows. She will get frustrated in a game when she isn’t dribbling or passing as well (which passing at the point guard position has so much to do with the dribble due to angles and positioning). I always ask her, “How much practice have you put in?” She sheepishly replies, “Not much.” My response is you get out of it what you put in. It’s not right or wrong, that is just how it is.

Athletes are just like every business professional, coach, doctor, trainer, parent or teacher. The more time spent on investing, the better the results. So for those athletes, business executives, coaches, trainers, parents, and teachers who try to avoid doing extra work or investing in their knowledge get what they deserve.