President’s Message – Latest Scoop 2025 Issue 4

“Experience is the best teacher.”

How many times have you heard that phrase, or repeated it yourself? I hear it a lot and especially in the construction industry. It sounds logical at first, and is often shared as encouragement to someone who is new in their role and just made a mistake. However, if we stop and think about what we’re really saying, it’s not always true and can be outright dangerous to believe.

Sometimes the phrase is an excuse for not ‘doing our homework’ in advance. Perhaps we didn’t plan, ask for help or guidance, communicate with others, or do research. Yes, now that we have experienced the unwanted outcomes of those gaps, we may understand more clearly the importance of doing them in the future. If indeed it changes our behaviors in the future, then indeed we did learn through the experience.

So, how is “Experience is the best teacher” dangerous advice? Aren’t I exaggerating for effect here? Absolutely NOT! The process of gaining certain types of experiences can be life-threatening or even life-ending. We don’t let a new laborer go into an unprotected trench or into a confined space with the notion that a close call with a cave-in or hazardous atmosphere will ‘be a good teacher.’

Beyond personal safety, important relationships and financial outcomes are not often able to withstand the strain of learning everything through our own experiences. We need the wisdom others have learned so we avoid these same serious mistakes. This underscores the value of learning from others in a peer group, in mentoring relationships, by reading, by listening to podcasts, and through conversation with others who are experienced in areas we need to grow in.

Another common problem with believing “Experience is the best teacher” is that many people experience something but do not learn from it. In fact, that describes me sometimes, and probably all of us on occasion. To the extent that we blame others for what happened, think we know it all, or are too busy or distracted to stop and reflect on what we could learn, we limit learning.

Learning from experience requires us to ‘show up for class,’ be humble enough to realize there is more to learn, and practice and APPLY what we learn! It is only through applying the learning that comes from reflection on the experience that the experience has ANY future value!

So, do we start saying instead “Experience can be an effective teacher for some people in certain situations?” It sure doesn’t sound as punchy; however, it is more accurate!

My challenge to you is this:

The next time you hear someone else or find yourself saying “Experience is the best teacher,” stop and ask these few questions. Think deeply enough to give an honest answer, because those whom you lead and serve deserve it!

• Are we equipping our people with easy access to the right information, training, and support in advance of or at the time of need?
• Am I saying or buying into that statement because I’m avoiding accountability for myself or others to learn, plan, and communicate in advance of new situations?
• Is it accurate to assume that because I or someone else experienced something, we learned the right lessons from it?
• And if we did, how have we communicated what we learned with others who will face the same situation in the future?