I’ve come to the conclusion that it is of little or no value to be an expert in something, within the context of an organization.  Why? Because organizations don’t want experts.  They say they do…and functionally they should because having the smart people work for you is how you ultimately create a competitive advantage…but practically ego gets in the way of this ideal. 

It’s ironic - they seek out experts during the hiring process.  To get in the door, you have to prove you’re intelligent, capable and motivated.  But once you’re there, don’t kid yourself. All those hours you put into your craft mean nothing.  Accolades from your colleagues outside your organization mean nothing.  Unless you are at the senior level of your organization (or have just been there a really really long time and are “senior” by default), you are not allowed to be an expert.

Why? Because experts are threatening.  If you’re an expert, that means you know something “they” don’t, which calls into question how many other things “they” don’t know (in their minds anyway). Now lets set aside reality for a second (reality being that EVERYONE knows something you don’t know, so its really unavoidable) and look at it through the eyes of an ambitious yet insecure manager.  Typically people like this aren’t open to nuance.  It’s black or white.  Right or wrong.  Either they are the ultimate supreme expert of everything, not only in their direct realm but also on its periphery, or they’re not.  Any bit of expertise anyone else shows in any area that overlaps this realm is a threat to them and their domain. 

Now here’s the kicker - the organization will act in direct adversity to its best interests by coddling the ambitious yet insecure manager because its the insecure manager that’s going to put up a fuss.  The organization is going to sacrifice the better product (that will be achieved through listening to expert advice) in favor of making the insecure manager feel more comfortable. This is going to piss off the expert, but they’re probably not going to make the same fuss as the insecure manager at this point because it would look like they were just retaliating.  So now the insecure manager is satisfied, the expert is pissed off and the organization produces a less-than-stellar product.  

So what do you do?  Some people would tell you to work within the culture of the organization, let the insecure manager think everything is their idea, blah blah blah.  My advice comes from a different prospective - it’s all about the side projects baby.  Make your day job just that - your day job. Do it to the best of your ability and meet the expectations they have for you but when you leave your office, leave the job there.  Put your passion into your side projects.  Start a professional blog. Start consulting. Start speaking at conferences. Do something to put your expert knowledge to good use (and, frankly, consulting usually pays more than your day job anyway).  The culture of the organization is never going to change but putting your energy into something entirely under your domain can keep your passion alive. This is how you’re going to find professional fulfillment.  This is what will keep you sane. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Like what you read here? Subscribe to this blog through RSS or sign up to receive email updates when new content is posted.