I know. They call you an expert at what you do. And you certainly consider yourself one. After all, you did not get to be this good by accident.
So how can having an expert state of mind possibly be bad for you?
Well, if truth be told, as experts-who-speak, this danger is even more REAL for us! This week’s issue of my Speaking IDEAS newsletter explains why that is so, and what you can do to protect yourself.
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Is this email not displaying correctly? Publication: Tayo Solagbade’s Weekly Public Speaking IDEAS Page (PSIP) Newsletter Date: Monday 27th May 2013 No:91 Title: How an Expert State of Mind Can Hurt YOU (5 Tips) Author & Publisher: Tayo K. Solagbade [234-803-302-1263] Blog URL: http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/blog Archive (For Blog version started 24th September 2011): Click here Hi, Please find below the latest issue of my Speaking IDEAS newsletter.
No. 90: How an Expert State of Mind Can Hurt YOU (5 Tips)**** ********** NB: If you ever find yourself wondering what else I’ve written, some days after you’ve read THIS Speaking Ideas newsletter I send out on a Monday, here’s what you can do to find out: Point your browser to www.spontaneousdevelopment.com/sdnuggets to read at least ONE new post added to my SD Nuggets blog on a different category from Tuesday till Saturday (sometimes even Sundays) in line with this publishing schedule ********** I know. They call you an expert at what you do. And you certainly consider yourself one. After all, you did not get to be this good by accident. So how can having an expert state of mind possibly be bad for you? Well, if truth be told, as experts-who-speak, this danger is even more REAL for us! This week’s issue of my Speaking IDEAS newsletter explains why that is so, and what you can do to protect yourself. 1. You Are an Expert – But You Will Not Always Have the AnswersIt’s in all of us. Along with the self-assurance and confidence that comes from knowing you’re competent, there comes a potential tendency to forget we don’t really know it all. Or let me put it this way: you can forget that you MAY not always know what will, or will not work, in your field of expertise. As experts-who-speak, that can happen often if we’re not cautious. What we know to be true today, may get overtaken by a newer discovery tomorrow. So, you’ll probably want to avoid telling anyone something’s “impossible” now, because YOU can’t see it with YOUR experience based expert insight. Why? Because someone else just might! 2. One Real Life Example of How Expert Mindsets Can Be Bad For EveryoneThere was a time when everyone saw nothing wrong with feeding babies, with man made baby foods, without breastfeeding. Decades afterwards, came the wonderful discovery (known to village dwellers for centuries!), about the advantages of feeding babies breast milk from nursing mothers. It provides nutritional and health benefits that are hard to duplicate. So everyone switched back to breast feeding! But certain medical “experts” led us down the earlier path, and kept us going that way for decades. What were they thinking then? And what were WE thinking by listening to them for so long? How come no one thought to challenge their ideas and recommendations much earlier ? The answer is that we all regarded them as experts. And societal conditioning makes us believe they know better than the rest of us. They also knew that – which was probably why they relaxed, and never thought to challenge themselves either – through all those decades! Do you now see how this “expert mindset” has a tendency to put everyone in trouble? Aha! 3. Authentic Experts Must Be Willing to Be ObjectiveAs an expert-who-speaks, it is highly conceivable that you may find yourself taken up by an audience member, who during the “Q and A” session, challenges a line of thinking, or opinion you voiced. Avoid getting defensive or taking it personal. Remember that s/he may not have your level of expert insight. Ironically, that may sometimes actually be an advantage – for him/her! For instance, a new person who joins an establishment, often bring “fresh eyes” to bear – and is likely to be less sentimentally attached to the existing state of affairs. As a result, she would more readily identify aspects needing improvement that others have become blind to . The above perspective could be one applicable to the question-asking audience member I mentioned earlier. S/he could be asking with the “fresh eyes/mind” of one who has not become too familiar with the subject. Sometimes an expert voices an opinion, and people accept it. Then when a contrary or competing school of thought comes up, the expert may feel defensive. The smart thing would however be to maintain an objective mindset. Carefully assess the new line of thinking for its merits, and then offer an informed view based on that assessment. This will put you back in the driver’s seat as an authority on your subject, because you would then be endorsing that new perspective using your expert insight! 4. Problems Arise When Experts Refuse to Acknowledge They Don’t Know EverythingIt’s great to think of yourself as an expert, and to go about your work with that mental attitude. However, never let it intoxicate you into believing you alone will always have the last say about issues relating to your field of expertise. That would be a costly mistake – and you risk making yourself looking bad in the long run. How? Well, if – and this has happened a lot in history – the other person is eventually proved right, all your narrow minded arguments could make you look LESS than the expert you wanted to be seen as! If you still don’t get it, let me elaborate further: a REAL expert can also demonstrate her expertise by being one of those who first recognises the next big idea, and endorses or recommend sit to others. And that includes ideas that eclipse her own. You need not always be the originator of the next big thing, to be relevant! (NB: It goes without saying that you should stand your ground, if you are honestly convinced the other argument or idea does not hold water. Say it as you see it. You do NOT need phony humility!) 5. Resist The Urge to Adopt the Expert State of Mind
Henry Ford reportedly distrusted experts, believing they were too familiar with the reasons that something could not be done. For was (and is) NOT the only one who feels this way about experts… For instance, James Cook (Millionaire Entrepreneur, and best selling author of “The Start-up Entrepreneur”) warned aspiring entrepreneurs, that people (e.g. experts) who offer advice will often give it based on how your (i.e. the entrepreneur’s) idea affects them. In other words, they will give you answers that depend on whether they think your idea has negative or positive implications for them. This a basic self-preservation tendency based on a natural instinct that all human beings have. As an expert-who-speaks, DO NOT to let that instinct control you. Especially in relating to your audience members who will ask for your informed opinion, view, perspective, and advice – be it openly, or in private. Instead, be authentic and objective – regardless of whether doing so will contradict a position you may have previously adopted on the issue. That will actually cement – and certainly NOT erode – your credibility as an expert!
Need More Details of How to Make The Above Ideas Work for YOU?If you need more specific details of how to make use of the ideas I’ve shared in this newsletter, send me a message using this request form (with “How an Expert State of Mind Can Hurt YOU (5 Tips)” in the subject line).
Have a lovely week!
Tayo K. Solagbade* Self-Development/Performance Improvement Specialist *Sole Agent For Burt Dubin’s Speaker Mentoring Service In Africa Mobile: 234-803-302-1263 http://www.spontaneousdevelopment.com Self-Development/Performance Enhancement Specialist – Tayo Solagbade – works as a multipreneurial freelance writer providing zero risk article and report writing support for website owners, while travelling slowly across West Africa as a Location Independent Entrepreneur. He’s presently based in Benin Republic, where he’s preparing an English-French Language Guide, City Travel Guides, and a Commercial Rabbit Farming Guide. In a previous life, before leaving to become self-employed, Tayo served for seven years as a high performing manager in Guinness Nigeria. He rose from Shift Brewer, to Training & Technical Development Manager, then later acted in senior management roles as Production Manager and Technical Manager. When he’s not amazing clients with his superhuman skills (wink), Tayo works as the creative force behind his Self-Development Nuggets™ blog, and Public Speaking IDEAS newsletter (which he publishes to promote Burt Dubin’s Public Speaking Mentoring service to experts working across the African continent). Connect with him on Twitter @tksola.com and Facebook. ================== Have you been undecided about whether or not to become a paid speaker? Or have you been trying to get your speaking career off the ground with little success?Here’s a tip: Burt Dubin works with people who want to be speakers, and with speakers who want to be masters. Click here to visit his website NOW and submit a contact form message telling him what challenges you’re facing, and how you’d like him to help you. Tell him I sent you, and you’ll get a pleasant surprise offer from him. Comments?What do you think of the above message? Do you have any personal experience to share on this subject? Are there some other points you feel can be added, to help persons looking for answers? Please share your thoughts! Share this issue!Do you know anyone who might benefit from reading this newsletter issue? Why not hit the forward button now, and send it to him/her with a short recommendation. You can also use share it via your social media channels. Thanks in advance.
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