I was thinking recently about what it takes to “make” an expert. Bear in mind that for some of the roles for which we now have experts, there is no formal education. There are many ‘experts’ around. We have seen quite a few claims in social media arena. One or two may even be able to legitimately claim to be so.
Claiming you are an expert does not make it so, any more than claiming to a be a world class athlete makes it so. An expert is only an expert when you can prove from example and record. Just like an athlete.
It seems that the top athletes are not gifted at sport. They are gifted at being single minded and determined. They are consistant at being consistant and practicing. And what they are practicing it seems, is pattern recognition.
If this is true, and I think it is then it also explains what makes an expert. The ability to identify and act on patterns which they recognize, from experience and practice. But they have worked hard to get there, not just claimed it.
It is not that they are more intelligent, gifted or educated. It is that they have done the hard yards to learn and know intuitively what needs to be done and when. They may not have years of experience, rather the right experience. There is a difference
Because they concentrate on their field of endeavor, it is what they think about almost all the time, just like an athlete. They think about the issue you face from many angles and see patterns you are totally unaware of because you have so many “other” things to think about.
So if you need an expert to help your business maybe you should look for the person who seems a bit single minded with regard to your issue.
