According to Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers (affiliate link) it takes approximately 10,000 hours of practicing a particular skill set for us to achieve expert status.
I believe it takes far less time to perceived an expert.
I remember when I first started on my Castain 2.0 journey, there was this dude all over social media who claimed to be a personal branding expert. At the time, he had about 10 minutes worth of experience.
What he lacked in experience . . . he made up for in “showing up”
There’s this woman who comments in several of the Linkedin groups in a very authoritative (and often argumentative) manner. Over the course of the last few years, I’ve seen people compliment her on her background. Meanwhile, I see only 2 jobs listed on her profile and neither one lasted more than 14 months. She claims to have a training business and yet she has no website.
What she lacks in experience . . . she makes up for in “showing up”
Don’t even get me started on all the “Social Media Experts” who lack what real experts refer to as “a clue”. I see them on Twitter positioning themselves as experts and yet they don’t reply to a single @ message from their followers. I even watched one “expert” completely berate a woman in a Linkedin group and yet they offer advice on how to be “social”
And still . . . people are eating it up. Why? Because this person makes up for it by “showing up”
Here’s the point . . .
If these 3 people, who obviously lacked their “10,000 Hours” made up for it by consistently “showing up” . . . what are you waiting for?
How freakin cool would it be to marry your real, legit, battle field experience with the act of continually showing up to demonstrate it?
And just when I may have caught you in the act of a head nod in acknowledgment of this philosophy, let me ask you something . . .
Which is worse . . .
A false perception of expertise through the act of “showing up” or . . .
True expertise not realized because we fail to “show up”
Paul Castain trains individuals and teams to be lethal. For more information on how you can work with this Jedi, by all means click here
Paul, in my experience, it takes to a smart people an afternoon to be perceived as an expert. This is particularly devastating when you meet the person just once for a few hours and you shape in your mind the idea he’s some kind of genius in his field. Good thing places like the interwebz can help us clearing our mind out with some much needed research.
Very true Gabriele. I do think that many are easily fooled by the fact that they just continually show up. Meanwhile, they lack the substance.
How cool would it be for someone with true expertise to continually show up and let their expertise be known?
Thanks Gabriele!
From my personal experience, the most skilled people tend to be very modest. I guess modesty (if not exaggerated) is a distinctive sign of a smart, agile mind. Do you agree?
I tend to favor people like that Gabriele.
Paul, in my experience, it takes to a smart people an afternoon to be perceived as an expert. This is particularly devastating when you meet the person just once for a few hours and you shape in your mind the idea he’s some kind of genius in his field. Good thing places like the interwebz can help us clearing our mind out with some much needed research.
Paul, in my experience, it takes to a smart people an afternoon to be perceived as an expert. This is particularly devastating when you meet the person just once for a few hours and you shape in your mind the idea he’s some kind of genius in his field. Good thing places like the interwebz can help us clearing our mind out with some much needed research.
Very true Gabriele. I do think that many are easily fooled by the fact that they just continually show up. Meanwhile, they lack the substance.
How cool would it be for someone with true expertise to continually show up and let their expertise be known?
Thanks Gabriele!
From my personal experience, the most skilled people tend to be very modest. I guess modesty (if not exaggerated) is a distinctive sign of a smart, agile mind. Do you agree?
I tend to favor people like that Gabriele.
Paul,
I’ve been wracking my brain trying to recall if I’ve ever berated a woman in a LinkedIn group, and haven’t come up with anything so hopefully I’m not your example:-) On the flip side, if I am and don’t realize it, please let me know because I must have been off my meds that day!
I agree that the worst possible thing to happen is that you are an expert in your field and you don’t demonstrate it. In the transparency of social media, you can’t just pay lip service to your abilities, you have to practice what you preach and demonstrate your knowledge as well.
The great part about social media is that you can be an expert in a topic without having the academic and career pedigree – we learned that lesson in Good Will Hunting – and finally get recognized for it. The ability to demonstrate expertise that isn’t on the resume when you are trying to make a career change, is one of the biggest advantages of social media for jobseekers.
My own story is a testament to it. I grew up working in a family business and I recall thoughts and ideas that I had to help my mom grow the business, but I had no basis for that knowledge and understanding. I had no interest in going into business, so I never took a college course on the subject. Yet, when I got into the workforce, the people I was working with quickly recognized the ability and would come to me for guidance and ideas. Even though none of my jobs were specifically marketing, I was always pulled onto marketing tasks and projects. By the time I realized I was interested in actually working in marketing it was too late – I couldn’t get a job in a marketing department to save my life because my skills were not immediately evident on my resume even though I would highlight the specific projects I worked on. No marketing degree – you’re out. No job title with the word “marketing” in it – you’re out.
Then social media came along. It was so new there weren’t any schools and the early “experts” would have to have that expertise only through practical application. Finally a level playing field AND a built in platform to share the expertise. Of course, by that time, I wasn’t interested in working for anyone else! It was also a perfect, inexpensive means to get my business off the ground.
If you’re an expert in your field and you’re not showing it or showing up, then you are going to quickly lose market share and credibility to those you may not consider your equals – let alone your superiors – because the proof really is in the pudding!
Thanks for the great article!
No Crystal it wasn’t you. As a matter of fact, I denied this person membership to my Linkedin group and gave them a piece of my mind long before this blog post was written.
Thanks for stopping by!
I suppose if we have more expertise than the other people in the room/forum then we can quickly be perceived as the expert.
Of course, I address sales groups, who always have a lot to say… not all of it well-founded… and many many of them share a level of understanding equal with my own.
A thousand years ago, when I began my sales career, reps tended to be the experts in their field, experts on their own product lines and experts on their competitors product lines. These days customers/clients have access to so much information because of the internet that often they are very well-informed. Beware the “expert” who comes in to sell to these customers without giving them their due!
Paul, you are so, so right! Thanks for the continued support and advise.
Thanks Jay!
Paul, you are so, so right! Thanks for the continued support and advise.
Thanks Jay!
Excellent food for thought, and I think the choice is obvious. Thanks again Paul for another enlightening post.
Thanks Adam!
Thanks Adam!
Great post as always. You continue to inspire me Master Yoda!
Great post as always. You continue to inspire me Master Yoda!
Great post as always. You continue to inspire me Master Yoda!
Great Post! Too many “experts” and not enough just “showing up” I have learned that with my own business. I haven’t been “showing up” when I have the experience. “Expert” is relative, grass roots experience is what counts.
Well said Lana!
Thanks for stopping by and have an awesome weekend!
Great Post! Too many “experts” and not enough just “showing up” I have learned that with my own business. I haven’t been “showing up” when I have the experience. “Expert” is relative, grass roots experience is what counts.
Well said Lana!
Thanks for stopping by and have an awesome weekend!
“Showing up” – once; “Showing Up” – Twice; “Showing Up” – Three Times; “”Continually Showing Up”. Great emphasis in this post Paul!
The funny thing is it still does not register with everyone. Showing up when you feel like it is not an option in an ultra competitive business climate. When people look at their business, what will the incremental increase in results be if they just start showing up 10% more than before, then push it to 20% and so on and so on? Love the post thanks as always!
Great points Tim!
Thank you for always making the time to “show up” here my friend!
“Showing up” – once; “Showing Up” – Twice; “Showing Up” – Three Times; “”Continually Showing Up”. Great emphasis in this post Paul!
The funny thing is it still does not register with everyone. Showing up when you feel like it is not an option in an ultra competitive business climate. When people look at their business, what will the incremental increase in results be if they just start showing up 10% more than before, then push it to 20% and so on and so on? Love the post thanks as always!
Great points Tim!
Thank you for always making the time to “show up” here my friend!