The 10,000-hour rule: why it isn’t enough

Guest Column Jori van de Spijker – Managing Consultant

Congratulations on your title Insights Professional of the year! The jury report reads you used the 10,000 hour-rule, can you elaborate on that?

Jori: “Of course, I read about it in the newspaper just before my jury interview. It was about the golfer Dan McLaughlin. I had never heard of him and I think many people haven’t either. It turns out that he is an ambitious American who thought he could make good use of the 10,000 rule. The phenomenon comes from the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Gladwell writes that to become good at what you do, whether it’s cooking, playing football or market research, as long as you have worked on it for 10,000 hours or more, you are a professional in your field. A great idea, so thought McLaughlin, who then dreamt of becoming a professional golfer and making a lot of money. He dedicated his life to training to become a golfer, which he called “The Dan Plan”. However, he gave up after 6,003 hours, he hadn’t reached the desired level and he didn’t want to do it anymore. I find McLaughlin’s story not so much disappointing as inspiring. It means that you can’t just go and do something for 10,000 hours because you want to become a pro and perhaps make a lot of money. There has to be more behind why you want to do it, and I recognise that in my own work as well.”

“Those 10,000 hours are the result of doing something you are passionate about, doing it with others and not for yourself.”

You say that there is more to it than hours alone, how come?

Jori: “It doesn’t start with the 10,000 hours, but with having passion for what you do. Something you get out of bed for and do together with others. McLaughlin was on the golf course every day, but he did it alone and found it terribly boring. You get energy from working together and growing together. Something that characterises DVJ is that everyone works with a passion for research. We grow together, take on challenges together, and think about new research solutions together. Besides passion and cooperation, it is also about helping each other. You’re not just doing it for yourself, but also someone else. When McLaughlin started playing golf, he was very preoccupied with the possibility of making a lot of money, but I don’t think that is a long-term motivation. You get energy when you can help others, colleagues, but also clients. If I translate that to our work, I get energy from helping others understand the world and helping them to make the right decisions in an increasingly complex world full of data. Those 10,000 hours are the consequence, not the cause. Success will follow.”

Is that what you dedicate your success to?

Jori: “Definitely. But not just my success, but that of the whole of DVJ. It represents how I want to work, but also how everyone at DVJ wants to work: with passion, together, and always willing to help each other and our clients. This leads to our growth, but it is not just about our development. One of the most important pillars of DVJ is sharing knowledge and helping brands to achieve their growth objectives. Therefore, we speak with great passion at various events and annually present the results of our Brand Growth Study, this autumn during the NIMA MarketingDay, and during our own Brand Growth Event on 30 September. I am very much looking forward to sharing the results of the study at both events this year. That is where I get my energy from. Although McLaughlin did not reach his goal, he certainly inspired me: 10,000 hours is not the starting point, it is the result of passion, working together and helping others. That is the only way to perform your very best.”