How to Become an Expert in Your Field
![How to Become an Expert in Your Field How to Become an Expert in Your Field](https://fearlessprojectmanagement.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/business-1012761_1000-250x146.jpg)
If you want to stand out from the crowd or competition at work, then you need to be seen as an expert in your field. This is true whether you want to move up in your current company, find a new job, or transition your skills to a consulting practice. Because you believe you can, you have the potential to be an expert at what you do. But, it takes action on your part and not just walking around telling people that you’re an expert.
Here are a few simple steps to follow before you can be recognized as an expert.
Educate Yourself
First and foremost, make sure that you’re educated on what you’re doing. If you’re working in the maintenance department of a company and you want to be seen as the go-to person on anything related to maintenance, then you need to know what you’re talking about.
![learn-977545_cropped continue learning](https://fearlessprojectmanagement.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/learn-977545_cropped.jpg)
- Get certifications in your area of expertise. If yu have the foundation certification for your field, like PMP or Black Belt, study up or branch out. Get certified in for the next level or in an another area. This would be particularly helpful if your organization is transitioning to a different style of project management (like Agile) or if you have the opportunity to manage a project in a different field.
- Take online courses. Every university, college, and business school now offers online courses. These will further your education and keep you up to date on the latest knowledge and technology.
- Read more. It doesn’t matter what you do as a profession, you need to take advantage of the vast knowledge in the library. Use your commute time, your daily prep time, and your free time and read or listen to audio books.
By expanding your knowledge you’ll also build your confidence. Tell me one person that was ever seen as an expert that didn’t believe in themselves and what they were doing. Can you name one? Not likely! With knowledge comes confidence.
Demonstrate Your Knowledge
It’s one thing to talk about what you know, but it’s something else entirely to actually do it. Experts don’t walk around and brag about what they can do, they take action. If you encounter a difficult problem or situation, you’ll be able to take charge and find a solution.
- Be proactive. If a problem arises, take action right away to find a solution. If you don’t know the answer yourself, search out someone who does. Even experts need to learn new things and they aren’t afraid to admit it to others.
Learn To Be a Great Communicator
People have to understand what you can do and why you’re the best one to do it. This means that you have to understand and foresee the questions and concerns of others, then prepare and articulate the answers and solutions to them.
![hands-1063442_960 act with integrity](https://fearlessprojectmanagement.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/hands-1063442_960.jpg)
- Great communicators don’t just boss others around. Use your communications skills to teach and empower your coworkers. If you manage Agile projects, your communication style must be collaborative. If it isn’t, practice influencing rather than directing.
Always Act With Integrity
Don’t take credit for things you haven’t done and don’t take shortcuts. Skipping out on doing something the right way doesn’t make you an expert, however, this doesn’t mean that you have to do everything yourself.
There will always be things we’re not so good at. In those circumstances, you have to learn how to delegate those responsibilities to others who have the skills required to get the job done. Part of being a good expert is seeing the strengths and weaknesses of others and how their talents can be put to good use.
- Give others credit for a job well done. Wise leaders and the most incredible of experts don’t do everything themselves. They have a talented team around them who have the skills they themselves lack.
Follow these simple steps and you will become the person with the answers. You will become an expert who is irreplaceable and well respected because they take action.
![people-1979261_1000 become irreplaceable](https://fearlessprojectmanagement.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/people-1979261_1000.jpg)
Take Consistent Action
If you find yourself stuck or procrastinating about doing the things that are really important, you could be trying to employ a strategy that won’t work for you anymore. You may not even realize how much you are stopping yourself until you first identify, then change these strategies. When you put new strategies in place, you can get moving again. That’s where I can help.
Schedule a Life Goals Discovery Session today. You will come away with clarity about what you really want; you will uncover hidden and not so hidden obstacles that are holding you back; You will map out a plan to get you started, and you will be inspired to make it really happen.