Deliberate Practice

Geoff Colvin in "Why Talent is Overrated" (Fortune 10/21/08) argues that "deliberate practice" explains achievement and is more important than talent.
Deliberate practice:
     -is designed specifically to improve performance
     -can be repeated frequently
     -allows for feedback
     -is demanding mentally
     -is hard
     -can done before, during, and after the work activity itself.

Colvin writes that the best performers set goals about the process to improve a specific elements of their work. They are able to monitor what is happening and determine how well it is going (metacognition).  Deliberate practice is an investment, the costs come now and the benefits later.

I always thought I was a decent public speaker.  When I took "Communicate to Influence" by Decker Communications (highly recommended) and a coach pointed out some obvious bad habits that I needed to correct. I now realize that I will never become a great public speaker without deliberate practice.