Who are the experts

Technology is amazing. Technology drives change and your life and mine has never been the same.

Remember the time when something happens in the world, we watched the very limited TV channels catching our attention with: “Breaking News,” but we needed to get the full details and patiently waited for the newspaper the next morning so we can be fully informed? Those days are gone aren’t they?

Today, there is too much news, both true and false. And simply because anybody with a laptop and internet connection can become a publisher, “online” journalists can behave as if they are “experts” in the information they present.

Sorting the truth out of the information, conducting fact checks today becomes a necessary function that is part of doing due diligence in order to verify the veracity of the information. The volume of news and information that is rammed down our throats have hardwired many young person’s brains to just read headlines, scan a few lines of the items presented in bite-size form, form a conclusion and decide that the process has made the person knowledgeable.

Today, we find so many “voices” of authority, “experts” in their chosen field, churning out articles and expressing thought and opinions and we consume them without really knowing whether they are real experts or people who pretend to be experts.

I have worked with true experts in different fields of disciplines and I have also been dragged into the company of pretenders. I lost money doing business with them when they could not deliver, and they have taught me a valuable lesson on doing due diligence. But experts and pretenders seem to have certain characteristics that may help us decide on whether they are worth their salt or not.

Pretenders claim to know everything and they have an answer to every question. The reason why experts are experts is not only because of their command of the subject matter, but they also know the limitation of their knowledge and how far their expertise extends. They have no reluctance in saying, “I do not have an answer for that question.”

This is not feigned humility, but an honest admission of his or her limitations to avoid prescribing something that may turn out to be harmful for the party that needs an answer.

They would not want to mislead, but would instead recommend another expert they know who could help.

Pretenders are not honest and tend to falsify claims. The claims they make usually are not supported by official studies or figures. To the detriment of many people who hired them without making serious background checks, a vast sum of money is paid for the promise of delivery and the pretenders always fall short.

The experts in many occasions are not as showy or as belligerent, but when they do their stuff they would surprise you with what they can do.

They do not depend on their credentials, but they deliver on their field of expertise.

Pretenders focus on themselves. Experts focus on their field. Experts find joy in the work itself and are proud of what they know, but they are focused on the needs and welfare of the clients and not on themselves.

They do not act like prima donna’s demanding first-class treatments and behaving like brats, giving other people a difficult time.

Experts focus on what they can deliver that can improve their client’s situation, while the pretender is always the star in every story they tell.

Pretenders do not want to share; they will charge you for it. Experts are unafraid to offer more and more ideas without getting anything in return because they know the ideas presented offer value in helping the client do better and become better.

The result for this generosity is that the clients give the experts repeat business.

Pretenders hate to be challenged and will attack those who do. Experts are continuously learning and they are not afraid of facts or evidences that contradict their beliefs or presentation. While pretenders hate being questioned, they take this as an affront to their personhood which may be a disguise for their inadequacy and insecurity.

They cannot engage in a healthy intellectual debate and they get very personal.

Pretenders copy and do not embark on serious learning. Experts will go out of their own way and pay for their own expenses just to acquire more learning. He or she is doing this because the expert cannot resist it. The expert needs to keep up with the developments in his or her field, and this is why the expert cannot help but to teach.

They are constantly intellectually stimulated and curious. They ask many questions, while pretenders mimic jargons, use worn-out ideas, copy materials from other speakers and simply rehash it in different ways and always fall short on helping clients or audiences with their needs.

They may entertain, crack jokes, make people laugh or even do a song and dance number, but the audiences feel like they have not learned anything while the client feels like they have been robbed.

There are many professions that require you to regularly size up their expertise: service providers, speakers, business partners, advisors etc. and doing so is never simple. In many cases, by the time you spot the pretenders it may be too late but you need to do due diligence, check the track record and even politely ask clients or even competitors and gather facts.

Not doing so will be too expensive and worst, might expose our people to harmful doctrinal and professional ideas that may not help us accomplish our business goals. In other words, you need to do your homework.

(Francis Kong will be running his highly acclaimed Level Up Leadership seminar workshop on Aug. 23-24 at Seda Hotel, BGC. For registration or inquiries contact April at +63928-559-1798.)