Von Löwen Designs

“An expert is a fellow who is afraid to learn anything new because then he wouldn’t be an expert anymore.” – Harry S. Truman

The typical narrowband expert is a specialist who delivers data and information, they know their skill-set and carefully and obsessively define where their proficiency begins and ends. Whereas the broadband expert, an authority as well, is someone who has a core expertise onto which they layer knowledge of related (and sometimes unrelated) fields. The result is a designer/advisor with technical depth rather than just a technical specialist. Scary words for some I realize, but in my humble opinion, except where there is a temporary shortage of a particular skill – purely technical specialists are interchangeable and easily replaced. The truly valued professional is the one who not only brings functional expertise, but one who seeks improvement, embraces technology and understands the totality of their client’s perspective, including their lifestyle, their neighborhood, family life and even their business life.

The evolution of both railroads and telecommunications provides befitting analogies for the concept of the broadband thinker. In the nineteenth century, there were many track gauges, or widths, used by American railroads, most were very narrow; the relatively wide-gauge track in use today had not yet become the standard. Wide-gauge tracks have many advantages over narrow-gauge ones, being more stable and versatile; the driver can see farther around curves and permits higher train speeds. Similarly, today’s communication technologies far exceed the performance of the narrowband use of dial-up and twisted-pair connections. Could you image conducting business @ 56k over a telephone line?

Designers today need to step out of their comfort zones and adopt a broadband, wide-gauge approach to knowledge and learning; if you do anything less, you really run the risk that your expertise will become an abandoned service and no longer the asset it once was – ending up like one of the many isolated, narrow-gauge and unused railways throughout the mountains that can no longer connect to the nationwide rail system.

Great professionals, and teachers alike, love to learn and become skilled at learning. A prerequisite to becoming a broadband expert is to cultivate a learning attitude. This attitude, and its consequences, can be summed up by the Zen proverb: “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” The elements of this powerful message deserve a closer look:

• The student – Great learners think of themselves as perpetual students. Even when teaching, these learners are working to expand their own knowledge. As the great Zen master Shunryu Suzuki wrote, “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.

• Readiness – Having a student mindset is not enough, however. You have to be ready to learn, often by unlearning old precepts or concepts that are no longer valid. Most people aren’t ready to accept new ways of looking at old problems. The first response is often, “I tried that and it doesn’t work.” The next reaction is, “Well maybe it might have a little to offer.” Later, they tell you, “It’s true and had already thought about it a long time ago!” Students who are ready lack the ‘not invented here’ attitude; instead they rapidly identify and incorporate new information and ideas.

• The teacher – Most of us think about teachers in a fairly formal sense – university professors, mentors, authors. Avid learners know that teachers come in every shape and form and often are disguised. Our clients are teachers, as are our partners, spouses, and families. The books and magazines we read are teachers, and so are our most difficult experiences. Both our best and worst competitors are teachers. Strangers you meet randomly, perhaps the person you sit down with on your next flight, may just turn out to be your next enlightening experience – who knows?

• Appearance – Ready students are constantly on the lookout for people and experiences they can learn from, and they know these teachers can appear at any time. Remember the movie Forrest Gump?

The knowledge acquisition, tactics and strategies of most top performers seem to be fundamentally different from those pursued by ‘experts,’ both in terms of what they learn and how they learn it. And if there’s one thing I’ve recognized – it’s that all the really great mentors and professionals I’ve ever met all roam far beyond their core expertise, are constantly absorbing new information in a variety of ways, and are open to multiple methods of learning. They also engage in deep, client-centered learning that enhances their ability to be insightful and add true value in the relationship.

Stay tuned for some additional thoughts on becoming more of an explorer in your learning next week.

Hope all is going your way!

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so before you leave be sure to visit Von Löwen Designs to view an assortment of refreshing examples in kitchen and bath design concepts, refined palette and interior finishes, and sustainable yet chic, green remodeling ideas that may encourage and inspire your next remodel or home improvement project.

MYTH: Scientists aren’t sure radon really is a problem.

FACT: Although some scientists dispute the precise number of deaths due to radon, all major health organizations (like Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Lung Association and World Health Organization) agree with estimates that radon causes thousands of preventable lung cancer deaths every year. This is especially true among smokers, since the risk to smokers is much greater than to non-smokers.

MYTH: Radon testing is difficult, time consuming and expensive.

FACT: Radon testing is easy. You can test your home yourself or hire a qualified radon test company. Either approach takes only a small amount of time and effort.

MYTH: Radon test kits are not reliable and are difficult to find.

FACT: Reliable test kits are available from qualified radon testers and companies. Reliable testing devices are also available by phone or mail-order, and can be purchased in hardware stores and other retail outlets. Call your state radon office for help in identifying radon testing companies.

MYTH: Homes with radon problems can’t be fixed.

FACT: There are simple solutions to radon problems in homes. Hundreds of thousands of homeowners have already fixed radon problems in their homes. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs; check with one or more qualified mitigators. Call your state radon office for help in identifying qualified mitigation contractors.

MYTH: Radon only affects certain kinds of homes.

FACT: House construction can affect radon levels. However, radon can be a problem in homes of all types: old homes, new homes, drafty homes, insulated homes, homes with basements, homes without basements. Local geology, construction materials, and how the home was built are among the factors that can affect radon levels in homes.

MYTH: Radon is only a problem in certain parts of the country.

FACT: High radon levels have been found in every state. Radon problems do vary from area to area, but the only way to know your radon level is to test.

MYTH: A neighbor’s test result is a good indication of whether your home has a problem.

FACT: It’s not. Radon levels can vary greatly from home to home. The only way to know if your home has a radon problem is to test it.

MYTH: Everyone should test their water for radon.

FACT: Although radon gets into some homes through water, it is important to first test the air in the home for radon. If your water comes from a public water system that uses ground water, call your water supplier. If high radon levels are found and the home has a private well, call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791 for information on testing your water.

MYTH: It’s difficult to sell homes where radon problems have been discovered.

FACT: Where radon problems have been fixed, home sales have not been blocked or frustrated. The added protection is sometimes a good selling point.

MYTH: I’ve lived in my home for so long, it doesn’t make sense to take action now.

FACT: You will reduce your risk of lung cancer when you reduce radon levels, even if you’ve lived with a radon problem for a long time.

MYTH: Short-term tests can’t be used for making a decision about whether to fix your home.

FACT: A short-term test followed by a second short-term test can be used to decide whether to fix your home. However, the closer the average of your two short-term tests is to 4 pCi/L, the less certain you can be about whether your year-round average is above or below that level. Keep in mind that radon levels below 4 pCi/L still pose some risk. Radon levels can be reduced in most homes to 2 pCi/L or below.

To learn even more about radon, don’t miss my previous posts: National Radon Action Month – Part I, Part II, & III.

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, so before you leave be sure to visit Von Löwen Designs to view an assortment of refreshing examples in kitchen and bath design concepts, refined palette and interior finishes, and sustainable yet chic, green remodeling ideas that may encourage and inspire your next remodel or home improvement project.