The Expert in the Room

A colleague shared a story about running a management workshop and how one of the participants positioned himself as an expert on the topic. This included answering questions that had been directed to the facilitator. It's one of the many challenges of working with groups, but this post isn't about that - it's about expertise.

Working with people over the past twenty years has taught me that leaders have a tricky and sometimes conflicting role. They frequently gain their leadership positions because they've developed expertise and have shown an ability to use it for good results. Next thing you know, they're put in charge of a group of people. Sometimes they also have expertise in leading people, but that's more the exception than the rule. 

So then what happens? If my expertise is valued and I'm strong in it, this is my sweet spot. I have to use it, have to. But I can't be everywhere, doing everyone's jobs, speaking all the words. I can't always be the smartest person in the room, having all the answers, solving all the problems. My expertise can become a hindrance in the leadership aspect of my role. It's a problem.

This is why leaders hire coaches, smiley face.

But my point isn't to sell you on the idea of hiring a coach. My point is to have you consider how you view expertise, how you use it, when you use it. 

I have been known to ask myself if I'm full of bullshit. I've been in this a long time, thousands of hours of direct experience, well-read, trained and educated, mentored. I have a great many opinions. When I use this for good, my people feel supported for growth. If I come across as a know-it-all, that's off-putting. 

How does this translate to leaders in real life? I'll offer a list. Take what you want and leave the rest.

1. Facilitate group meetings that have a purpose (generating ideas, for example) and use meeting management tools like brainstorming to equalize participation and reduce dominating. You have smart people (I assume, otherwise, why do you have them?) so use their brains instead of you going first.

2. When there's a problem to solve, get the right people in the conversation and let them talk. Use a framework for methodical problem solving. Avoid telling them the solution; otherwise, what's the point of calling them together?

3. A wise coach introduced me to the concept of W.A.I.T. It means "Why Am I Talking?" If you're doing a lot of the talking, ask yourself why. Yes, you can control what you're saying, but you can't really control others by doing all the talking. Yes, it's a little free-fall to have others speak, especially in tense situations, who knows what they'll say and it might feel better to try to prevent ... something. 

4. If you have a natural tendency to jump in, speak first, or answer every question, try holding back. I had a client who literally sat on her hands in a meeting where she tended to dominate. It reminded her to listen and decide if her input was needed. She found that sometimes it was needed, but not always. 

5. And last, delegate responsibility and let people handle it. This doesn't mean relinquishing all control and hoping for the best. It means setting someone up to be successful, and as self sufficient as possible, to get results in an important area of the work. If they know how to do it, don't tell them how to do it. If you're not sure if they know how, collaborate on a plan. Don't jump in a take over unless it's dire (and let's face it, most of us are not neurosurgeons so this is rarely a life-or-death situation). Let people be successful.

Good luck out there.