Expert Myths

The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word expert as "a person who has a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge of or skill in a particular area."

Part of The Center for Women's Voice mission is to give women the tools they need to stop flying under the radar in male driven industries, so that they can contribute at the highest level.

Many of the women I work with strive to become experts in their field. They want to be known as a thought leader - someone whose ideas are respected and sought out.

For the sake of simplicity, let's call this Reaching Expert Status.

The funny thing about Reaching Expert Status is that it's largely subjective. What defines the moment that you go from highly skilled and highly competent to expert? Different people will give you different answers. I believe it's the moment when you can confidently say that you know what you're talking about in a given area. Maybe you know what you're talking about because you've studied said subject in school for many, many, years. Maybe it's because you have a lot of professional experience. Maybe it's a combination of the two.

Reaching Expert Status can feel elusive and unobtainable. Often there are systemic factors at play limiting career growth (hello sexism, racism and every other ism), but sometimes...sometimes...we are the ones holding ourselves back from becoming experts. Owning what you know can be uncomfortable and counter-cultural, but consider who wins when you don't step into your authority.

The patriarchy wins. The mansplainers. The people who claim that it's impossible to find any qualified women to hire for their conference/writers room/board of directors/tenured faculty/whatever.

Seriously. Let's put an end to this.

If you feel like you don't have what it takes to Reach Expert Status, here are a few myths that might change your mind.

Myth #1: It's Binary

It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that achieving Expert Status is a binary paradigm. It isn't. There isn't a finite point in time when you change from being "really good at X" to "official expert". Perhaps there's a specific moment when you realize this, but the process is a continuum.

You are going to continue to evolve and grow. Owning the fact that you're an expert, doesn't mean you won't keep refining, sharpening, and expending your skills.

There may be an exact day when you receive a PhD, or pass the bar, or board exams, or whatever - but those are all external milestones affirming something that is already true. You know your stuff.

Myth #2: It's out of your hands

Speaking of external milestones...many women believe that they are not an expert in their field until someone else recognizes them as such. I disagree.

YOU are the authority on what you know and how valuable that knowledge is. Others will take notice based on the way you present yourself and the way you regard your own contributions. They may have their own opinions and that's okay.

If you are waiting for someone to notice you, you may be waiting for a long time.

Myth #3: It's arrogant to call yourself an expert

The Oxford English Dictionary defines arrogance as "having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one's own importance or abilities."

The key here is "exaggerated." Be honest about the impact you've made and what you're capable of.

Do you have a PhD or masters degree? Have you worked in your field for the better part of a decade? Multiple decades? Have you mentored or trained other people? Have you received professional awards? Do you get paid for your opinion (about anything)? Do other people seek out your perspective via interviews, panel invitations, guest speaking opportunities? If any of these things are true, then owning your expertise is a completely accurate expression of your skills.

Do not hide your light under a bushel. Downplaying your accomplishments will not serve you or the world you want to live in.

Myth #4: Labels don't mean anything anyway

This is what we tell ourselves to justify whatever ambiguous or unpleasant situation we're in at the moment. In my experience, this line of thinking indicates that I am settling in some way.

You don't have to like labels, but it's naive to pretend that they don't contribute to the way we're perceived and the way we perceive others. Labels are important, even as a reference point for ourselves.

Whether or not you acknowledge yourself as an expert influences everything from negotiating a salary to setting boundaries about how you spend your time at work.

Myth #5: It's a destination, and I'm just not "there" yet

This myth is more sneaky version of Myth #1. It's true, there are certain fields that require a specific credential - it's unlikely that you will become an expert in neurosurgery without following the prescribed path laid out for neurosurgeons. But could you imagine a new neurosurgeon saying "oh, I'm just starting out - I'm not an expert yet." Nope.

By the virtue of the time she's put it in, she gets to claim that status. That doesn't mean she knows everything there ever was to know about neurosurgery. She will continue to grow and develop her expertise over time. And that's okay.

Reaching Expert Status isn't a destination, it's a designation along the way.

Go for it already

If you're waiting until you become an expert to do the thing you really want to do in the world, I urge you to stop waiting. The external validation that you want may come late, or it may not come at all. In the mean time, the world is missing out on the important work that you're meant to do. YOU are missing out on the fulfillment and growth from pursuing that work.  The becoming is in the doing. In my expert opinion, you're ready now.

with love and respect,

Malika

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