100 Maxims for SMEs
Timeless and true. The top 100 maxims for Subject Matter Experts and Solution Engineers: 1) An SME’s priorities are …
The Expert (A Short Comedy Sketch)
A Youtube video was releases five years ago which openly mocks non-experts. Imbedded in the video, however, are lessons for experts which few are willing to accept, or even recognize. Here is our list of top 10 lessons from “The Expert (A Short Comedy Sketch)”
Is your audience stupid, or do you just think so?
At some point you may believe that your audience is mentally challenged, or just plain stupid. But, there’s a chance your wrong.
The Disaster of Lac-Mégantic
The Lac-Mégantic train disaster took the lives of 47 people. There are lessons in the ashes of the deadliest freight train accident in Canadian history.
The NFL has a Concussion Problem
The league may not be able to fix it, but all experts should glean an important lesson from the crisis which could dismantle the entire sport.
When Experts Fail
Over the centuries experts have made some colossal errors. Here are just a few that stand out.
Unskilled and Unaware, the Dunning-Kruger Effect
McArthur Wheeler robbed two Pittsburgh banks in broad daylight and was promptly arrested. Unskilled people are notoriously poor judges of their own ability and equally poor judges of the skills of others. Few things are more agonizing for experts than people who are unskilled and unaware.
Bullies, Perverts, Experts, and Trust
The worst people in our society are not just destroying the lives of their innocent victims, they are corroding the one thing that matters most to all experts, trust.
Ten Things SMEs Should Do in Client Meetings
Just because someone is a technical genius doesn’t mean they’ll do well in front of clients. Here are a few things all subject matter experts should do when asked to meet with clients.
My works speaks for itself
Can your work really speak? Or, will people speak for it? One of the most prolific tatoo artist of WWII learned that his work doesn’t effectively speak for itself, nor can it.
You’re likable enough, Hillary
In the 2008 Presidential campaign Barrack Obama told Hillary Clinton that she was likable enough, and she never recovered.
The danger of speaking outside your expertise
You’ve worked for years to develop your skills. You’ve risen through the ranks and distinguished yourself. Now that you have reached the apex of your expertise, do you really want to throw it away?
Lessons for Experts from DACA
On September 5, 2017, President Donald Trump rescinded DACA (the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). Regardless of your position on politics or immigration, experts can learn two important lessons from the changes in DACA.
Who’s the expert now?
When Barron Trump moved into the White House his t-shirt was hard to ignore. There is one thing the Obama and Trump families have in common. What all experts can learn from the children of US Presidents.
Getting started as an expert at Ford Motor Company
Early in my career I was expected to perform as a subject matter expert. I failed, but my research into expert performance began.