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Experts Who Don’t Listen to Other Experts…..Are You One?
When experts don’t listen to other experts, it is frustrating.
A couple of weeks ago, I was on an outing where I was definitely in a supportive role for most of it. Although my position called for me to be in an official leadership role, I realized that I wasn’t, almost immediately.
After a few minutes of wondering how to handle the situation, I turned that realization to my advantage and learned much from someone popularly considered to be the expert on the topic we were discussing — the ecology of a sand prairie.
I’ve spent many years in unofficial leadership roles. By unofficial, I mean no title, no pay, and only loose affiliations with local organizations. Despite all this, I have found, it is sometimes better to lead from a more relatable position.
At some point during the event, the recognized but unofficial expert encouraged me to share with the group my own expertise. It was a nice show of collegiality. He acknowledged my role in the event and allowed me to be an expert for part of it. I was grateful for his involvement and how we worked together in an impromptu and unplanned way.
But, there was another person there. This person considers themselves as an expert in many areas (whether it is true or…
