Beware the expert...
...even when their expertise is genuine
“What we do not understand we do not possess.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1
It’s only to be expected that organisations feel the need to hire experts from time to time.
Experts see things through different eyes, so can see things others don’t.
Their expertise mean they can also infer implications that others can’t.
And they can give advice on next steps, based on their insights and past experience.
But even if a client receives sound advice — and that’s a big if — the people in the organisation doing the main value-creating work still need to be able to see for themselves what needs to be done.
That’s why you need to be appropriately wary of experts, as this 10 minute Future-Fit Culture Frequently Asked Questions video explains…
The above video cites this previous article:
“Was man nicht versteht, besitzt man nicht”. Sprüche in Prosa. Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 419-23.