Who Do You Know That Really Gets It?

Rand Fishkin really gets it when it comes to explaining who gets it. Huh?

He breaks down categories of people in terms of how well they comprehend subjects. Some people just really get things while others actually drag others down by their inability to grasp concepts.

In my opinion, real "get it" types are people who can nearly immediately grasp a concept as it's explained to them, and respond to the explanation with truly relevant questions and perhaps suggestions on how the original concept could be improved. That's getting it. They're natural problem solvers.

Personally, there are few things I enjoy more than hanging out with others who "get it" in ways similar to me. Not people who are exactly like me (that would be scary) but people who spend time working out ideas in their head and like to bounce ideas off others with problems they'd like feedback on.

It's truly amazing how much can come out of an hour conversation with someone in this category. Someone who gets it can contribute an amazing amount of value with one sentence that helps reframe an idea or expand it to a new level.

On the other hand, explaining ideas to people who kind of get it is tedious. A get-it type gains little by explaining an idea to someone who can't get it - or at least isn't ready to get it. The challenge comes from having to tell the back-story of "first the Earth cooled, then the dinosaurs came, then Google happened, and now _______." Painful.

While most people "get it" when it comes to a topic they happen to be deep on, they're clearly missing the boat on a wide variety of other subjects. That's something worth identifying and dealing with. My advice:

1. Find people who "get it" in every field you need to comprehend. Also, finding people who are experts in fields you enjoy but don't necessarily need to comprehend is fun too.

2. When you or your team is ready to "get it" find someone who can quickly get you up to speed on what you're now ready to learn.

Learn when you're ready to learn from people who really know what they're talking about.

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