Becoming an expert in one’s primary field is often the spring board for further developmental opportunities. There are a number of ways in which individuals can become experts in their field. These include:
- Enrolling on formalized education and training programs, watching others, asking questions, and teaching others.
- Attending pertinent education and training courses is one way to acquire technical skills, and many companies often pay the tuition and fees associated with these courses.
- Another way to increase expertise in one’s is by being a keen observer of human behavior. Individuals can learn a lot by observing how others handle work-coordination problems, achieve production goals, discipline team members, or develop team members with poor skills.
However, merely observing how others do things is not nearly as effective as observing and reflecting about how others do things. One method of reflection is trying to explain others’ behaviors in terms of the concepts or theory. Observers should look for concepts b that cast light on both variations and regularities in how others act and think about the reasons why a person might have acted a certain way. Additionally, observers can develop by trying of as many different criteria as possible for evaluating another person’s actions.
It is also important to ask questions. Because everyone makes inferences regarding the motives, expectations, values, or rationale underlying another person’s actions, it is vital to ask questions and seek information likely to verify the accuracy of one’s inferences.
By asking questions, observers can better understand why team practices are conducted in a particular way, what work procedures have been implemented in the past, or what really caused someone to quit a volunteer organization.
Finally, perhaps nothing can help a person become a technical expert more than having to teach someone else about the equipment, procedures, procedures, strategies, problems, resources, and contacts associated with a job, club, sport, or activity. Teachers must have a thorough understanding of the job or position in order to effectively teach someone else. By seeking opportunities to teach others, individuals enhance their own technical expertise as well as that of others.
