The Expert

A couple of weeks ago, YouTube recommended the following video for me to watch:

Titled, “The Expert”, this is actually part of a series of sketches, around the trial and travails of a technical expert in a modern organization. And it’s struck a chord with all of the technical experts I’ve shared it with. It’s funny, but it’s also uncomfortable, because We’ve All Been There.

I’ll wait until you’ve watched it.

… done?

I’ve had this happen to me, and I’ve seen it happen to others. I recognize all of the roles, and I have played the other roles as well. I’ve been a manager, I’ve been a project manager, I’ve been the guy bringing in the unrealistic requirements, and I’ve been the outside consultant. I can sympathize with the unthinking malice of the people who are pressuring the Expert (who are caricatures, but fairly accurate ones). But I think that there are Lessons to be Learned from this, and while I’m not an Expert (ha-ha!), I can at least provide some feedback on what I think is wrong.

1.      No Means No

A salesperson will tell you never to contradict the customer, but if something can’t be done, it can’t be done. The last thing you want is to be committed to a project that simply isn’t possible. A red line cannot be coloured green. A green line cannot be referred to as a red line. Don’t waste their time or yours, or move on. You’re the expert, and you know better than them.

2.      Don’t Vacillate

You may have mentioned that when the Expert is discussing scenarios where a green line may be considered a red line, the rest of the people immediately jump on the idea that it may be possible after all. That is a major mistake. If you think that something isn’t possible, then you shouldn’t start telling them how it hypothetically might be possible. That just causes confusion.

3.      Clarify the Requirements

Yes, the Expert did try this, when he asked the woman regarding the perpendicularity. And she was briefly confused by this, before doubling down on pushing this back to the Expert. This is when the Expert should have pushed for further clarity, or asked if he could speak directly to the team that created the requirements. Phrasing becomes important, as does understanding what everyone wants out of the meeting. No-one goes into a meeting expecting that the entire project will be solved, or that even any decisions will be made. Meetings are often used to determine further meetings (ew!), or actions that need to be taken, or determining milestones… or assigning blame.

So, you use this opportunity to request a meeting with whoever has actually created the requirements, to understand what’s actually needed, rather than playing at Chinese Whispers.

4.      Don’t Provide Technical Answers to Non-Technical People

I do this all of the time, so I suppose I’m being hypocritical, but this is a different sort of meeting. I use it when I’m selling because I want to dazzle (a synonym for confusion, by the way) customers, but then, they’ve usually already been confused by IBM and Intel because I hear their jargon coming out of their lips too.

None of the participants of this meeting are technical. Explaining concepts, or throwing jargon at them at a time when you need clarity is a terrible idea, and a recipe for confusion. But this should help you to secure a meeting with their technical teams, or with someone who does speak the same jargon as you.

5.      Don’t Allow Yourself to be Bullied

We feel sorry for the Expert because everyone uses the word “Expert” as a bludgeon to catch him off-balance, get him to commit to things he shouldn’t, and to speak too much. And the Expert really should be using it right back, considering that he is the Expert, and yes, he is the final authority on the subject, at least in the meeting room.

Here’s what I’ve learned about Authority; if you don’t use it, someone else will (on your behalf). And it’s better if you use it. Even if the decision you make, or the action you take, is incorrect, at least it’s yours.

6.      Be Ready to Compromise

Everyone in the video is a caricature. Everyone is comedically misunderstanding what the Expert is trying to tell them. Having sat in each and every chair in that meeting at one point or another, however, allows me to understand (and sympathize with) their objectives.

Everyone wants the project to succeed. None of them want it to fail. You could shut it all down, and that’s what they all fear. They all have a stake in it, whether convincing their bosses for authorization, for budget, for time, or what-have-you. Being told that it isn’t possible for “technical reasons” would suggest that they didn’t do their homework. Which they should have, but something always gets left behind when you’re busy with paperwork.

As a technical expert, you can give them options. You don’t roll over and promise them the stars and the moon, but you can provide alternatives. You meet with whomever drew up the original requirements, try to understand what they actually want, and help them fill in the gaps of their understanding. If, as in the video, they need green lines, maybe you know someone who’s an expert on green lines. You can’t do transparent red lines, but you can do translucent lines.

You are expected to negotiate. Every customer has unrealistic goals, and you need to bring those back to earth. Maybe the requirement got garbled. Maybe someone decided to combine two distinct and separate requirements because they sounded similar, and it would be easier (and cheaper) to budget them together at the same time rather than asking for approval for two projects.

So, you can soften your stance, but you still need to keep the requirements realistic.

7.      But No Really Does Mean No

But if something isn’t part of your job description, you shouldn’t be doing it. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should be doing it. If something goes wrong, you will be blamed for it. And if it is something that you can and should do, but isn’t part of the scope, make sure you charge for it.

Remember, customers (internal and external) love to get services for free. Don’t allow them to. So long as you allow people to push you around, they’ll keep trying to take greater and greater advantage. Boundaries are necessary.

Again, I must say that this is something that I am guilty of, and this time, I don’t have a convenient excuse. I do, very regularly, provide support internally when I really shouldn’t. It’s not something that really takes me too long, and I suppose that I do enjoy it when things work. And then, I can always tell people to wait if I’m busy with my actual responsibilities, so it’s not too bad.

Am I being taken advantage of? Possibly. Do I mind? No, not really, and I think that’s what counts.