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Rookie Smarts: Why Learning Beats Knowing in the New Game of Work
Wall Street Journal Bestseller Is it possible to be at your best even when you are underqualified or doing something for the first time? Is it still possible, even after decades of experience, to recapture the enthusiasm, curiosity, and fearlessness of youth to take on new challenges? With the right mindset—with Rookie Smarts—you can. In a rapidly changing world, experience can be a curse. Careers stall, innovation stops, and strategies grow stale. Being new, naïve, and even clueless can be an asset. For today’s knowledge workers, constant learning is more valuable than mastery. In this essential guide, leadership expert Liz Wiseman explains how to reclaim and cultivate this curious, flexible, youthful mindset called Rookie Smarts. She argues that the most successful rookies are hunter-gatherers—alert and seeking, cautious but quick like firewalkers, and hungry and relentless like pioneers. Most importantly, she identifies a breed of leaders she refers to as “perpetual rookies.” Despite years of experience, they retain their rookie smarts, thinking and operating with the mindsets and practices of these high-performing rookies. Rookie Smarts addresses the questions every experienced professional “Will my knowledge and skills become obsolete and irrelevant? Will a young, inexperienced newcomer upend my company or me? How can I keep up?” The answer is to stay fresh, keep learning, and know when to think like a rookie. Rookie Smarts isn’t just for professionals seeking personal renewal; it is an indispensible resource for all leaders who must ensure their workforces remains vital and competitive.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published October 14, 2014
145 people are currently reading
2002 people want to read
About the author
Liz Wiseman
11 books242 followersLiz Wiseman is an American researcher, speaker, executive advisor, and the author of The New York Times bestseller Multipliers
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
December 2, 2014
As someone who is struggling through a career field change, I picked this book (unabridged audio) on a long drive across the Southern Plains. I hoped that it would tell me that my struggles would soon settle and that my career would take off.
Was I disappointed.
I the news I received, not the book.
Ms. Wiseman tells me that my struggle and my "newness" (or re-newness, in my case) to my current industry is my strength. She tells me that I'm experiencing exactly what I should hope to experience at every level of advancement throughout my career: the motivating fear of having to learn quickly combined with the freshness of see many things for the first time. In fact, she contends that it is at the point of comfort that we should seek out such new challenges outside our domains that will reignite those rookie juices.
The book is well-researched and comfortably written. The only contentious factual point I recall is a note about the "10,000-hour rule" based on research by Dave Burkus at Oral Roberts which seems to contradict work done by Malcolm Gladwell.
I highly recommend this book for leaders, those new to the workforce, and, especially, to those who feel as if they are languishing.
Perhaps as case of "rookie-ness" will reignite your visionary fire...and the visionary fire of your organization.
Was I disappointed.
I the news I received, not the book.
Ms. Wiseman tells me that my struggle and my "newness" (or re-newness, in my case) to my current industry is my strength. She tells me that I'm experiencing exactly what I should hope to experience at every level of advancement throughout my career: the motivating fear of having to learn quickly combined with the freshness of see many things for the first time. In fact, she contends that it is at the point of comfort that we should seek out such new challenges outside our domains that will reignite those rookie juices.
The book is well-researched and comfortably written. The only contentious factual point I recall is a note about the "10,000-hour rule" based on research by Dave Burkus at Oral Roberts which seems to contradict work done by Malcolm Gladwell.
I highly recommend this book for leaders, those new to the workforce, and, especially, to those who feel as if they are languishing.
Perhaps as case of "rookie-ness" will reignite your visionary fire...and the visionary fire of your organization.
October 2, 2018
Rookies work harder....ask the questions that need to be asked....are humble....and they end up passing up the best guy on the payroll. There you have it. That is the book.
I liked the author's narration of the audio. She had a great voice for that.
I liked the basic message here, but I found it a bit repetitive. And as wonderful it would be to give the rookies a shot to perform and prove himself/herself, there are times when that doesn't sound like a good idea....especially when it comes to surgery, dentists, and the like. So 2 stars.
I liked the author's narration of the audio. She had a great voice for that.
I liked the basic message here, but I found it a bit repetitive. And as wonderful it would be to give the rookies a shot to perform and prove himself/herself, there are times when that doesn't sound like a good idea....especially when it comes to surgery, dentists, and the like. So 2 stars.
February 22, 2023
This book would be more useful for conservative and old executives in order to change their culture and give a chance to rookies. Although most of the tips are common knowledge, the book concentrates on an ideal rookie profile and doesn’t discuss the failures, and when things don’t work out, when people don’t try to figure it our or aren’t passionate, persistent or when you are the ideal rookie but it doesn’t work out. Also for the rookies in her examples to work, there always is somebody in high management giving them the freedom and support to prove themselves - in my experience this rarely is the case in most companies. The main good points for me from the book are:
The perpetual rookie characteristics: curiosity, humility, playfulness, and being deliberate (be mindful of what they are doing and why/ how they do it, not jump impulsively and irradically instead they deliberately adopt an open mindset).
The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge. - Stephen Hawking
Experts have better intuition because they have amassed more datapoints on which to base gut feeling. An EU study at the workplace showed that the ability to mobilize skills and competencies of the people around us has bigger impact on our performance than does the amount of experience that we have. Previously acquired knowledge can prevent us from seeing new developments and as we build expertise we often stop seeking outside perspectives.
Confirmation bias, people's tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with their existing beliefs.
There are 4 types of rookies: backpackers (they have nothing to lose so they are open to explore and see new possibilities; ask naive/ basic questions to simplify and qualify), hunter gatherers (look outward, talk to strangers and seek mentors to guide you), fire-walkers (operate cautiously but quickly, seeking feedback to calibrate their performance and close the gap, they get their hands dirty and get close to the action), and pioneers (they explore and don’t settle, traversing often uncharted and uncomfortable territory, improvising).
Tips on how to stay curious and learning anew: multiply your expertise - build an expert network, which you can ask for advice, reverse mentoring - ask a junior colleague to teach you something new or new approaches, talk to strangers - expand your network and perspective, swap jobs for a day or week.
Seek feedback and coaching. Step out of your comfort zone.
Certainty is one of the weakest positions in life, curiosity is one of the most powerful. Certainty prohibits learning, curiosity fuels change. - Henry Cloud
When our work is play, time flies and we stick with it, we forgive mistakes, improvise and learn, we invite others to join the fun.
Ideas on how to rekindle your rookie smarts: instead of playing it safe just play, do what feels right, don’t overthink or second guess yourself, think what you would do if you weren’t afraid of getting fired; pass on the best practices and develop new ones; spend time with amateurs, newcomers; increase the size of your skill gap, sign up to do something new, hard but not impossible.
Advice for managers handling rookies: give them guidance of what, why and who, let them figure out how. Define safe space for experimentation (safety net), to risk and iterate. Give them stretch goals but don’t overwhelm rookies (you can start by giving them a challenge for 2 weeks). The best safety nets aren’t senior managers but rather senior colleagues and project managers, who oversee client engagements rather than directly managed staff. They have popularized the safety net across the company so instead of being seen as punishment the safety net is seen as a service, the benefit to which more junior colleagues are entitled and can ask for.
The perpetual rookie characteristics: curiosity, humility, playfulness, and being deliberate (be mindful of what they are doing and why/ how they do it, not jump impulsively and irradically instead they deliberately adopt an open mindset).
The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge. - Stephen Hawking
Experts have better intuition because they have amassed more datapoints on which to base gut feeling. An EU study at the workplace showed that the ability to mobilize skills and competencies of the people around us has bigger impact on our performance than does the amount of experience that we have. Previously acquired knowledge can prevent us from seeing new developments and as we build expertise we often stop seeking outside perspectives.
Confirmation bias, people's tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with their existing beliefs.
There are 4 types of rookies: backpackers (they have nothing to lose so they are open to explore and see new possibilities; ask naive/ basic questions to simplify and qualify), hunter gatherers (look outward, talk to strangers and seek mentors to guide you), fire-walkers (operate cautiously but quickly, seeking feedback to calibrate their performance and close the gap, they get their hands dirty and get close to the action), and pioneers (they explore and don’t settle, traversing often uncharted and uncomfortable territory, improvising).
Tips on how to stay curious and learning anew: multiply your expertise - build an expert network, which you can ask for advice, reverse mentoring - ask a junior colleague to teach you something new or new approaches, talk to strangers - expand your network and perspective, swap jobs for a day or week.
Seek feedback and coaching. Step out of your comfort zone.
Certainty is one of the weakest positions in life, curiosity is one of the most powerful. Certainty prohibits learning, curiosity fuels change. - Henry Cloud
When our work is play, time flies and we stick with it, we forgive mistakes, improvise and learn, we invite others to join the fun.
Ideas on how to rekindle your rookie smarts: instead of playing it safe just play, do what feels right, don’t overthink or second guess yourself, think what you would do if you weren’t afraid of getting fired; pass on the best practices and develop new ones; spend time with amateurs, newcomers; increase the size of your skill gap, sign up to do something new, hard but not impossible.
Advice for managers handling rookies: give them guidance of what, why and who, let them figure out how. Define safe space for experimentation (safety net), to risk and iterate. Give them stretch goals but don’t overwhelm rookies (you can start by giving them a challenge for 2 weeks). The best safety nets aren’t senior managers but rather senior colleagues and project managers, who oversee client engagements rather than directly managed staff. They have popularized the safety net across the company so instead of being seen as punishment the safety net is seen as a service, the benefit to which more junior colleagues are entitled and can ask for.
January 27, 2022
The book explores why, in the modern world, being experienced is not all it’s cracked up to be.
It was a refreshing read, sending me right back into learning mode- bringing back the rookie momentum.
In today’s fast-paced workplace, hiring a rookie can be an advantage.
The book also explores the main psychological, emotional, and technological advantages of rookies. The knowledge about the world is increasing faster than ever. In fact, every year and a half or so, human knowledge doubles and the mastery of old knowledge is becoming less and less relevant.
It was a refreshing read, sending me right back into learning mode- bringing back the rookie momentum.
In today’s fast-paced workplace, hiring a rookie can be an advantage.
The book also explores the main psychological, emotional, and technological advantages of rookies. The knowledge about the world is increasing faster than ever. In fact, every year and a half or so, human knowledge doubles and the mastery of old knowledge is becoming less and less relevant.
May 8, 2022
So many gems for me in my leadership journey and so many to take back to my organization. Excellent read!
April 13, 2020
If you support continuous learning for any type of profession, especially in today's constantly changing world but nobody was taking you seriously, this book is your evidence based on research!
The book also includes a list of discussion questions and the theory applied in several settings.
Definitely will be using this in mentoring. But first gotta challenge myself ;).
The book also includes a list of discussion questions and the theory applied in several settings.
Definitely will be using this in mentoring. But first gotta challenge myself ;).
January 23, 2022
Not knowing perceived limits enables rookies to score more often, and it also allows them to score bigger gains ― Liz Wiseman
I started running in 1998. I use that term loosely as it involved a lot of walking and did not necessarily look like running to people passing by…walking their cats and pushing strollers. But I digress. I ran regularly and participated in at least one race each year. For years…I had the simple goal of running a whole race and keeping the pace around 10 min per mile. That is…until one day something changed. My watch died before a long run on a path I had never used. So, I started the timer on my phone and ran. And when I finished and stopped the timer…something happened. The time was faster than I had ever run. Faster than I believed was possible.
If you’ve read Multipliers or Impact Players you may be familiar with the writings of Liz Wiseman. A former vice president at Oracle, she leads the Wiseman Group working with companies like Apple, AT&T, Disney, Google, Nike, and Salesforce. In her 2014 book, Rookie Smarts, she shares her research regarding the value rookies bring to the workplace. The subtitle of the book is really the message: Why Learning Beats Knowing in the New Game of Work. Wiseman shares her experiences as well as others when being the new person that was willing to learn really paid off. Throughout her book she shares many examples of newcomers or rookies that made a huge impact. Some were in sports, like Magic Johnson, and others like Sara Blakely are in business. In all cases, she describes people that are in a position to make change because they are in a position to learn.
Perhaps the most exciting part of this book is not that it describes all the rooks that have succeeded but rather that Wiseman outlines how we can all maintain a rookie mindset that opens us to the possibility of looking for new options, answers, and solutions. We can choose to become perpetual rookies – not people that never stick to one job…but people that remain willing to learn and not just rely on the tried and true. Rookie Smart also outlines how we can build organizations committed to maintaining the rookie advantage…hungry and willing to learn and do what’s needed.
Why not start 2022 that sameway? If we’ve learned anything over the last 24 months it’s that we don’t have all the answers. We didn’t have all the answers regarding a pandemic. We didn’t have all the answers about operating our businesses while protecting our employees. And we certainly did not envision all of the new businesses and opportunities that would arise from these challenges. We can’t possibly know all that 2022 will bring our way, but we can choose to foster a rookie mindset. We can say that we don’t have all the answers…but we’re willing to find them and we’re willing to do what it takes!
When the world is changing quickly, experience can become a curse, trapping us in old ways of doing and knowing, while inexperience can be a blessing, freeing us to improvise and adapt quickly to changing circumstances ― Liz Wiseman
I started running in 1998. I use that term loosely as it involved a lot of walking and did not necessarily look like running to people passing by…walking their cats and pushing strollers. But I digress. I ran regularly and participated in at least one race each year. For years…I had the simple goal of running a whole race and keeping the pace around 10 min per mile. That is…until one day something changed. My watch died before a long run on a path I had never used. So, I started the timer on my phone and ran. And when I finished and stopped the timer…something happened. The time was faster than I had ever run. Faster than I believed was possible.
If you’ve read Multipliers or Impact Players you may be familiar with the writings of Liz Wiseman. A former vice president at Oracle, she leads the Wiseman Group working with companies like Apple, AT&T, Disney, Google, Nike, and Salesforce. In her 2014 book, Rookie Smarts, she shares her research regarding the value rookies bring to the workplace. The subtitle of the book is really the message: Why Learning Beats Knowing in the New Game of Work. Wiseman shares her experiences as well as others when being the new person that was willing to learn really paid off. Throughout her book she shares many examples of newcomers or rookies that made a huge impact. Some were in sports, like Magic Johnson, and others like Sara Blakely are in business. In all cases, she describes people that are in a position to make change because they are in a position to learn.
Perhaps the most exciting part of this book is not that it describes all the rooks that have succeeded but rather that Wiseman outlines how we can all maintain a rookie mindset that opens us to the possibility of looking for new options, answers, and solutions. We can choose to become perpetual rookies – not people that never stick to one job…but people that remain willing to learn and not just rely on the tried and true. Rookie Smart also outlines how we can build organizations committed to maintaining the rookie advantage…hungry and willing to learn and do what’s needed.
Why not start 2022 that sameway? If we’ve learned anything over the last 24 months it’s that we don’t have all the answers. We didn’t have all the answers regarding a pandemic. We didn’t have all the answers about operating our businesses while protecting our employees. And we certainly did not envision all of the new businesses and opportunities that would arise from these challenges. We can’t possibly know all that 2022 will bring our way, but we can choose to foster a rookie mindset. We can say that we don’t have all the answers…but we’re willing to find them and we’re willing to do what it takes!
When the world is changing quickly, experience can become a curse, trapping us in old ways of doing and knowing, while inexperience can be a blessing, freeing us to improvise and adapt quickly to changing circumstances ― Liz Wiseman
July 24, 2016
This is an excellent book if you will experience anything new in your professional life, whether it be a new assignment, new project, new duties, a new position with a new company or even a new career. Some of it seemed redundant, but it became much clearer in the second half of the book. The different Rookie & Veteran "Modes" helped make it clearer what you'd like to be and what you'd NOT like to be in order to stay ahead of the game and always be marketable.
December 5, 2014
Great business book. Deftly woven with anecdotes, examples, and facts to illustrate that 'fresh eyes' are good. Just read the appendixes if you are looking for a 'how-to', but if you do that you would be missing out on a great read. As good a business book as I have read in a long time.
October 22, 2016
I had the opportunity to hear Liz Wiseman deliver a brilliant closing keynote at the 2016 Healthcare Analytics Conference. I'm always a bit leery of business gurus and the books they write, but I left her talk wanting to hear more. The premise of rookie smarts is a familiar concept in Zen Buddhism. Suzuki Roshi famously wrote Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice where he taught "in the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few."
In her introductory section, Wiseman makes a very strong case for why this rookie mindset is so important. "As work shifts from the physical to the knowledge realm, what are the implications for mastery? While physical virtuosity requires practice, might brilliance in the world of ideas demand mental agility? When there is too much to know, having the right question may be more important than having a ready answer." "A study in 2005 estimates that knowledge becomes obsolete at a rate of 15% per year. Another recent study reports that the annual rate of decay in high tech is 30%."
A piece of data she presented in her presentation that I found very interesting related our level of challenge at work to our level of satisfaction. "We found a strong correlation between challenge level at work and satisfaction level at work. In other words, as the challenge level goes up, so does satisfaction." I think it's worth qualifying this though by saying that challenge here doesn't mean being crushed by busy-work. It means that the work itself is actually challenging and requires thought and problem-solving to complete. As she says, the cure for burnout isn't less work, it's harder work. But still be wary that when we overreach and create a knowledge or skill gap that is too great, we can break. In that situation we need to break the gap into smaller pieces. She calls out a great Viktor Frankl quote that perfectly sums up the whole concept: "What man actually needs is not some tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for some goal worthy of him."
Wiseman also included some excellent advice to managers and companies regarding how they can bring out these qualities in their people. One that I wholeheartedly agree with is her suggestion: "instead of hiring for experience, hire for learning ability". I also found the results of this study important for all managers to remember: "In general, we found that after receiving a challenging assignment, people: have figured out their role within three months; are ready for the next big challenge within just three months; are ready for a new role within one year; begin to feel stale within two years."
One consideration Ms. Wiseman doesn't fully address is that not all true rookies will be prone to behave with rookie smarts as she defines them. In my experience, sometimes rookies are the least likely to exemplify those "rookie" characteristics. In the extroverts-only, who-talks-loudest-wins business culture that Susan Cain has uncovered, those very traits could be perceived as weaknesses. Just as common is that a rookie will assume a fake-it-till-you-make-it attitude, and act the role of an expert (with all its flaws) simply out of fear or self-preservation. To act with rookie smarts requires a degree of humility that typically comes with experience; the experience to know that you're actually not as smart as you once thought you were.
In her introductory section, Wiseman makes a very strong case for why this rookie mindset is so important. "As work shifts from the physical to the knowledge realm, what are the implications for mastery? While physical virtuosity requires practice, might brilliance in the world of ideas demand mental agility? When there is too much to know, having the right question may be more important than having a ready answer." "A study in 2005 estimates that knowledge becomes obsolete at a rate of 15% per year. Another recent study reports that the annual rate of decay in high tech is 30%."
A piece of data she presented in her presentation that I found very interesting related our level of challenge at work to our level of satisfaction. "We found a strong correlation between challenge level at work and satisfaction level at work. In other words, as the challenge level goes up, so does satisfaction." I think it's worth qualifying this though by saying that challenge here doesn't mean being crushed by busy-work. It means that the work itself is actually challenging and requires thought and problem-solving to complete. As she says, the cure for burnout isn't less work, it's harder work. But still be wary that when we overreach and create a knowledge or skill gap that is too great, we can break. In that situation we need to break the gap into smaller pieces. She calls out a great Viktor Frankl quote that perfectly sums up the whole concept: "What man actually needs is not some tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for some goal worthy of him."
Wiseman also included some excellent advice to managers and companies regarding how they can bring out these qualities in their people. One that I wholeheartedly agree with is her suggestion: "instead of hiring for experience, hire for learning ability". I also found the results of this study important for all managers to remember: "In general, we found that after receiving a challenging assignment, people: have figured out their role within three months; are ready for the next big challenge within just three months; are ready for a new role within one year; begin to feel stale within two years."
One consideration Ms. Wiseman doesn't fully address is that not all true rookies will be prone to behave with rookie smarts as she defines them. In my experience, sometimes rookies are the least likely to exemplify those "rookie" characteristics. In the extroverts-only, who-talks-loudest-wins business culture that Susan Cain has uncovered, those very traits could be perceived as weaknesses. Just as common is that a rookie will assume a fake-it-till-you-make-it attitude, and act the role of an expert (with all its flaws) simply out of fear or self-preservation. To act with rookie smarts requires a degree of humility that typically comes with experience; the experience to know that you're actually not as smart as you once thought you were.
June 13, 2021
I started this book after I graduated university in 2018. I never finished it, but I enjoyed the 80% that I did read. (I have no idea why I didn’t just hustle through the last chapter, lol). In the time since then a lot has happened; I moved transnationally for my first “real job” and had a lot of my ideas and preconceived/cultural notions about labor challenged.
I picked this up again last month as I am about to start my second “big” job in a nonprofit, and I am feeling all the nervousness and unpreparedness that come with it. Though my views about labor have changed significantly since 2018, I found that many of the book’s core concepts are still very useful and ring true for me.
I did a light reading of Rookie Smarts, focusing primarily on rereading the highlights that I made in 2018. The main premise of the book is that when you are new to a job, line of work, or organization, your newness offers you special insight and agility that seasoned veterans lack due to their rigid expectations developed from past experiences.
I found the book a practical guide for doing well at a new job or just trying to break into a new chapter of your career. It talks about how to stay innovative, curious, and inspired in your work. It challenges the old ways of doing things and welcomes in new perspectives from the young generations. The book includes a lot of lists and summaries, condensing career wisdom into manageable chunks.
My criticisms of this book in 2021 come after reading other works about the labor theory of value and the importance of workers’ rights. This book is written from a very corporate capitalist perspective of work and career. It makes no mention of labor exploitation, which is important for rookies to understand as new workers often allow themselves to be exploited (e.g personal time boundaries crossed) when they are new to a job in an effort to impress management.
At the end of the day, I do not exist just to be a worker. My life has more value than that; I will not give my life to a company or hustle on the weekends to impress my boss. Sorry not sorry, I love my hobbies and rest time. Sue me! I know that I’m a hard worker and I know my worth at work… I don’t need to have my boundaries decimated by a company in order to be “successful”. Rookie Smarts is written from the perspective of people who use LinkedIn a lot. Couldn’t be me tho.
Nevertheless the book does offer sound career advice. I would recommend this to any recent graduate or young person starting their career, with the caveat that there is more to life than work. Don’t let the man extract surplus value of your labor! This life is all we have!
I picked this up again last month as I am about to start my second “big” job in a nonprofit, and I am feeling all the nervousness and unpreparedness that come with it. Though my views about labor have changed significantly since 2018, I found that many of the book’s core concepts are still very useful and ring true for me.
I did a light reading of Rookie Smarts, focusing primarily on rereading the highlights that I made in 2018. The main premise of the book is that when you are new to a job, line of work, or organization, your newness offers you special insight and agility that seasoned veterans lack due to their rigid expectations developed from past experiences.
I found the book a practical guide for doing well at a new job or just trying to break into a new chapter of your career. It talks about how to stay innovative, curious, and inspired in your work. It challenges the old ways of doing things and welcomes in new perspectives from the young generations. The book includes a lot of lists and summaries, condensing career wisdom into manageable chunks.
My criticisms of this book in 2021 come after reading other works about the labor theory of value and the importance of workers’ rights. This book is written from a very corporate capitalist perspective of work and career. It makes no mention of labor exploitation, which is important for rookies to understand as new workers often allow themselves to be exploited (e.g personal time boundaries crossed) when they are new to a job in an effort to impress management.
At the end of the day, I do not exist just to be a worker. My life has more value than that; I will not give my life to a company or hustle on the weekends to impress my boss. Sorry not sorry, I love my hobbies and rest time. Sue me! I know that I’m a hard worker and I know my worth at work… I don’t need to have my boundaries decimated by a company in order to be “successful”. Rookie Smarts is written from the perspective of people who use LinkedIn a lot. Couldn’t be me tho.
Nevertheless the book does offer sound career advice. I would recommend this to any recent graduate or young person starting their career, with the caveat that there is more to life than work. Don’t let the man extract surplus value of your labor! This life is all we have!
April 17, 2025
"Rookie Smarts" offers a solid perspective on workplace dynamics by challenging the conventional wisdom that experience always trumps inexperience. The book argues that newcomers to roles or tasks often bring valuable qualities like curiosity, humility, and adaptability that can fade as expertise grows.
Wiseman argues that "rookies" often outperform "veterans" by asking more questions, seeking diverse input, and working with urgency. The concept of deliberately maintaining a rookie mindset, even as experience accumulates, provides practical value for professionals at any career stage.
The book occasionally oversimplifies the expertise-versus-fresh-perspective dichotomy, but its core message about leveraging the advantages of inexperience while building knowledge is sound. Wiseman's writing is accessible and her frameworks for cultivating "rookie smarts" in yourself and teams are implementable. this was a better book/memoir than Winning Now, Winning Later although on a different topic.
Recommended for managers, career-changers, and anyone seeking to maintain intellectual agility in an era of constant workplace evolution.
Wiseman argues that "rookies" often outperform "veterans" by asking more questions, seeking diverse input, and working with urgency. The concept of deliberately maintaining a rookie mindset, even as experience accumulates, provides practical value for professionals at any career stage.
The book occasionally oversimplifies the expertise-versus-fresh-perspective dichotomy, but its core message about leveraging the advantages of inexperience while building knowledge is sound. Wiseman's writing is accessible and her frameworks for cultivating "rookie smarts" in yourself and teams are implementable. this was a better book/memoir than Winning Now, Winning Later although on a different topic.
Recommended for managers, career-changers, and anyone seeking to maintain intellectual agility in an era of constant workplace evolution.
December 27, 2022
It's not what you know it is how fast you can learn.
The title of the book is misleading and the concept is somewhat correct. The trust of the book is that even the process of learning can change over time.
We already know that technology changes exponentially and to stay even you have to learn every waking moment. The question is how important is it to learn new ways of learning.
The book brings up a good question however may miss the mark on the flipside. Not everyone is on the cutting edge when it comes to technology or business practices or even people's relationships. A deep background in the history of technology, sociology, economics, history, etc. can help excel in the process of coming something like a "Rookie."
There is an advantage to looking at something in a different way allowing breakthroughs; however, the advantage does not negate a historical understanding in a business environment.
One plus is the structure of the book with a chapter summary that helps you focus on what you may have missed.
The title of the book is misleading and the concept is somewhat correct. The trust of the book is that even the process of learning can change over time.
We already know that technology changes exponentially and to stay even you have to learn every waking moment. The question is how important is it to learn new ways of learning.
The book brings up a good question however may miss the mark on the flipside. Not everyone is on the cutting edge when it comes to technology or business practices or even people's relationships. A deep background in the history of technology, sociology, economics, history, etc. can help excel in the process of coming something like a "Rookie."
There is an advantage to looking at something in a different way allowing breakthroughs; however, the advantage does not negate a historical understanding in a business environment.
One plus is the structure of the book with a chapter summary that helps you focus on what you may have missed.
December 29, 2025
I read most of this book but I have to admit, but I didn’t completely finish it. I felt like she was constantly ruin everything as an opportunity to point out how people were just so amazed by her work, or she has such great ideas, and she’s even rehashed jokes that she told other people that were even that funny, especially enough to admit that you’re just sharing a joke that you said before because you apparently think we should get such a kick out of it ha ha I hate to leave a battery view because I just can’t stomach it and I did feel like it wasn’t really written from the professional point of you. I could be Wrong because it’s all the credentials are different but that is just a personal feel I got from the Book. repetitive but I’m sure she was doing that because she’s not one to have much trust in her readers;(
June 9, 2021
Boy, I wish I'd known about this book a year ago! It would have helped me put a positive spin on my experience doing a completely different, pandemic-related job for the past 12 months, that kept me constantly second-guessing myself and feeling sure I was in over my head.
The main premise of the book is that rookies can often bring a fresh perspective and new energy to a job for which they are not completely qualified for. Rookies ask naïve questions and can shake up "the way things have always been done," usually to good effect.
Although, as the author states, it helps if those rookies bring curiosity, humility, a sense of fun/humor, and focus. She argues that taking on a project you aren't entirely ready for may keep you off-balance, but it also keeps you on your toes.
The main premise of the book is that rookies can often bring a fresh perspective and new energy to a job for which they are not completely qualified for. Rookies ask naïve questions and can shake up "the way things have always been done," usually to good effect.
Although, as the author states, it helps if those rookies bring curiosity, humility, a sense of fun/humor, and focus. She argues that taking on a project you aren't entirely ready for may keep you off-balance, but it also keeps you on your toes.
May 28, 2025
Great book that’s takes us beyond our biases toward the younger generations. It takes to an attitude of wanting to do well at our chosen fields and harnessing the excitement of learning something new. Having the attitude of the beginners mind. Yes the rookie! Wanting to learn and excited about it. Nervous about it! Even unsure about it. Adapts the mind to a deep willingness to learn and thrive. This book leverages all the excitement of a rookie and teaches us how to keep that attitude and open mind throughout our lives so that learning takes place throughout our lives.
This book I bought over ten years ago and never read it til now. I am sorry I had not read it sooner because the lessons are real and useful, IMHO.
This book I bought over ten years ago and never read it til now. I am sorry I had not read it sooner because the lessons are real and useful, IMHO.
January 28, 2020
I really liked this book and its premise. I was afraid it would only be geared toward newer employees in the workplace, but it wasn't like that. Being a "rookie" isn't about age; it's about mindset. So I thought Liz did a great job of making this book accessible to people in all generations and in all stages of their career. We held a book club to discuss this book, and we had many different generations there. We all enjoyed it.
To me, the takeaway from the book is to keep challenging yourself. Learning should be the goal, not getting to a certain spot or knowing a certain thing. As cliche as it sounds, the real adventure is the journey itself, not the destination.
To me, the takeaway from the book is to keep challenging yourself. Learning should be the goal, not getting to a certain spot or knowing a certain thing. As cliche as it sounds, the real adventure is the journey itself, not the destination.
June 4, 2018
The book is written to inspire readers to continuously learn and try new things. In my experience, not all rookies follow the pattern, but idea is good - use others to help leverage collective knowledge and learn quickly. The author mentions multiple times that the best rookies are people in new roles (not necessarily young and fresh out of school) and often have to learn fast and ask questions. I don't agree that experience/knowledge are not as valuable, but agree to the principle about keeping an open mind and continuously grow.
August 3, 2025
I love the way Wiseman uses real work examples as applications of the principles she espouses. This book is accessible, relatable, and motivating. It leaves you feeling hopeful and eager to take on new challenges, and invites you to be introspective throughout. For anyone who feels stuck or like they’ve reached a plateau, this book is for you. While most of the examples are business related, the principles are applicable in all aspects and seasons of life - regardless of if you consider yourself a rookie, a veteran, or somewhere in between.
March 24, 2018
I love this book! It was encouraging to me who, at 48 yrs old, am certainly not a rookie in terms of age, but I definitely am a rookie in multiple areas where I know I need to learn and grow. The author uses multiple real life stories and uses helpful illustrations to help solidify the ideas. Very practical and inspiring for those who have been in the workforce for many years, and I believe it would be very encouraging for rookies just entering their careers.
March 19, 2019
I love the idea of leveraging all the resources and the wisdom around you to learn and grow, reporting progress regularly (open communication), and having no other agenda apart from doing great work. This book is a good reminder to professionals at any stage of their career to, "Draw on the power of learning rather than falling back on old ways" and harness collective intelligence to deliver wins.
July 13, 2025
As far as self-help books go, I felt like this one was actually quite helpful. As an undergraduate student just starting to get introduced into professional life, it was really empowering to hear how my rookie status in so many aspects of my life can be considered an asset. At times the arguments felt a bit repetitive, but the message sunk in. I’m excited to see how I can implement what I learned in this book.
July 29, 2017
Only 45/102 pages were actual "book". I felt the chapters to be repetitive with little "how to's", mainly attempts to convince one that one should have Roomie Smarts. Rest of the book was Appendices with some useful tools. I really wanted to dig this book as I saw Liz speak a couple years ago. I just didn't enjoy it as much as I was hoping.
July 26, 2019
Super enjoyed this motivational book. Every manager will benefit from this and especially those of us who are in our final years in the professional world. Concepts that allow us the freedom and flexibility to feel and act like a rookie. I loved all of the success examples and ideas and concepts about being a rookie and the need to gain knowledge.
May 3, 2021
Awesome book
It covers all the bases with theoretical and true life stories that enhances what today's new leadership styles are about. Life goals are about failing up and stretching your talents past your own limitations with help from your supervisors. I highly recommend this book.
It covers all the bases with theoretical and true life stories that enhances what today's new leadership styles are about. Life goals are about failing up and stretching your talents past your own limitations with help from your supervisors. I highly recommend this book.
July 1, 2021
High school to retirement age, this book is great for anyone in any stage of life. I loved the way Liz writes, it's simple and clear. Easy to understand. The topics and ideas she touches on are so important and so profound. I listened to this on audiobook, but I will definitely be keeping my hardback copy to loan to friends.
December 18, 2023
This is my guess. She has unique, helpful models and a useful framework to help a lot of people. But it is presented a little too ambiguously to really glean the insights. It seemed very repetitive and watered down. It basically felt like it was saying, be humble, stay curious, have a growth mindset, and keep reaching out of your intellectual comfort zone. Not quite what this book ought to be.
March 7, 2024
I am putting this one down, could have been a long-form essay or something. It's great that she's amassed so many anecdotes but I get the idea: don't get stuck in your ways and keep yourself in the frame of mind that you have something to learn. Maybe if I skipped to the end there would be more action items but I think I got what I am going to get.
October 16, 2018
Always keep learning, never quit asking questions. Try to keep a new bright eyed view of life. Challenge yourself so you do not get burned out and you can continue to grow even if you can't advance or change jobs right now. All great advice just wished it was wrapped in an easy to hear format.
July 25, 2019
I couldn't spend more than half an hour on this book. The message, as many other comments said, is repetitive, and the tips are both self-evident and fuzzy at the same time. Everything in this book is redundant except the title.
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