The Expert's Way

Like a lot of other people, I have read Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Sthephen J. Dubner. They take an economists view and rigor to look at interesting questions like the motivations of realtors, how people name their children and much more. (You can read more on their blog.)

I found the book interesting and fun to read. But the thing from the book that has stayed with me and that I continue to think about comes on page 148 when the authors are writing about "What Makes a Perfect Parent?". They write:

"The typical parenting expert, like experts in other fields, is prone to sound exceedingly sure of himself. An expert doesn't so much argue the various sides of an issue as plant his flag firmly on one side. That's because an expert whose argument reeks of restraint or nuance often doesn't get much attention. An expert must be bold if he hopes to alchemize his homespun theory into conventional wisdom."

As a person who is called an expert and is paid for his expertise this gives me pause to think.

As I read the quotation I replace expert with consultant to help me think about my role, and the expectations of Clients.

Clearly this is the approach of some experts. They have an opinion and stick to it steadfastly. This position feels good to the expert or consultant, and makes many Clients sleep better. They can follow the advice of their consultant - after all they are the expert - and rest easier.

I believe there is a different approach that a expert/consultant can take. They can have a strong belief. They can advocate for a position or course of action, but they can see their role differently. Rather than being the fount of all relevant knowledge,they help the Client better understand their situation and help the Client apply the expertise that they provide.

This approach however requires that both the consultant and the Client think more. It requires that the consultant let go of their content expertise enough to help the Client move through a process to create great results.

Both approaches are valid. Both approaches can produce good results.

As a Client you will be happier and more successful if you are clear on which approach will work best for you. Consultant/experts will be more successful when they are clear on the approach they want to provide.

What kind of an expert are you?

What kind of expert do you want on your team?

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