How to be an expert (and find one if you're not) I’ve been thinking lately, what makes someone an "expert" in his or her field? Apparently Lorelle VanFossen has been thinking the same thing, because she recently wrote a post called What Gives You the Right to Tell Me? At The Blog Herald that explores the issue of expertise in some depth. For me, the question started to percolate through my mind when I was invited to speak at an academic conference on anthropology and counter-insurgency recently. Apparently, I have become an expert on the topic, someone people look to when they want more information. How did that happen? Thinking about how I came to be a "go-to" person on this topic has gotten me thinking about how anyone becomes the person to call when you need help, about how people become experts in their field.
What’s an expert? While knowledge is obviously an important quality of expertise, it’s only one of several factors that makes someone an expert in their field. How to become an expert How to identify an expert. How to fire someone. By trade and training I am a writer and editor. I never had any education in managing people until I received the best kind: being thrust into the middle of it and being forced to learn without any preformed conceptions from some old tradition of management that academics espouse.
I’m not belittling education. It would have been helpful, and trained managers are no doubt much better than me. But sometimes it’s good to get involved in something without the notions instilled in you that everyone else has. Management is pretty easy for me, but I remember that one thing that got me at first was letting people go. I often wondered — if I’d had some education in management, would this come easier to me? Image by texas_mustang. Be Honest I don’t mean to say you have to tell the individual in question what a terrible and incompetent person they are and that you’ve hated every piece of work they have done for you. Be Neutral It is important to be as emotionally neutral as you can be.
Be Empathetic. How to bulletproof your job. How to improve your body language. There is no specific advice on how to use your body language. What you do might be interpreted in several ways, depending on the setting and who you are talking to. You’ll probably want to use your body language differently when talking to your boss compared to when you talk to a girl/guy you’re interested in. These are some common interpretations of body language and often more effective ways to communicate with your body. First, to change your body language you must be aware of your body language. You might want to practice in front of a mirror. Another tip is to close your eyes and visualize how you would stand and sit to feel confident, open and relaxed or whatever you want to communicate.
You might also want observe friends, role models, movie stars or other people you think has good body language. Some of these tips might seem like you are faking something. In the beginning easy it’s to exaggerate your body language. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. How to boost your self-confidence.
Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit. – E.E. Cummings By Leo Babauta One of the things that held me back from pursuing my dreams for many years was fear of failure … and the lack of self-confidence that I needed to overcome that fear. It’s something we all face, to some degree, I think. The key question: how do you overcome that fear? By working on your self-confidence and self-esteem.
I still have those fears, undoubtedly. This post was inspired by reader Nick from Finland, who asked for an article about self-worth and self-confidence: Many of the things you propose make people feel better about themselves and actually help building self-confidence. Truer words have never been spoken. As an aside, I know that some people make a strong distinction between self-esteem and self-confidence.
You can do this by taking control of your life, and taking control of your self-confidence. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. How to tie knots. How to throw a party.