The value of true "experts"

Earlier this week I was reminded of the importance of "expertise".

I have played a lot of sport throughout my life. My love for football, tennis and cycling has remained unabated into my 50s.?

My left ankle in particular has taken many hits and rolls, with the last one being what I suspected would be the final straw. One more ankle roll and my (mediocre) sporting career was over, my body told me.

For the last few years I have convinced myself that the end was in sight, and it was upsetting and affected me psychologically because I simply never want to stop being active and competitive (in business as well as in sport).

A few weeks ago I came off the pitch after a game, feeling fit and strong. A few hours later, my knee locked up, swelled and left me reeling in pain and unable to walk for days. I was diagnosed with Runners Knee by my physio. Not disastrous. A few more stretches and some rehab and I’d be back at it. No big deal.

While on the couch with my physio, I told her about my weak ankle and how I knew my body and that it had told me I had one more hit left before curtains.?

She examined my ankle, after telling me this was the area of the body that she majored in. I was convinced that she’d corroborate my internal story, after all nobody knows my body like me.

How wrong I was!

20 minutes later, she’d loosened it, strengthened it, reset it and told me that, with a few weeks work, my ankle would be back to 95% strength and mobility.

Honestly, it has changed my life. Where previously I was resigned to slowing down, not going so hard and just playing for fun, now I am signing up for every challenge, every match and even running (I’m not a runner!) again. I feel great, I am upbeat and my mental posture has shifted significantly.

The term “expert” derives from the mid-19th century. Its focus was on objective truth, and the rise of the professions, especially as a white, male, scientific enterprise (and in contrast to feminised and “morally useful” art subjects).?

Covid proved how vital “experts” were at a time when our survival counted on it. Businesses need experts – those who know what to do when the chips are down and things aren’t going to plan. There are many who profess to be experts or gurus merely by reading as much as possible. Dig deeper under the surface and you can often find a lack of real-world experience in the face of adversity.

The next time you need advice or guidance, or people to do hard stuff, look for the experts. These are the people who can interpret your data with bias, who have experience to fall back on, and who have felt the pain of failure as well as the joy of success.

Experts will enhance you and your operations. They generate creative solutions that you thought unimaginable. They have been apprentices, journeymen and masters, and they provide you with trust and legitimacy.

My physiotherapist is one of the best in the business. She knew me and my travails better than I. She got to the solution in quick time, and I invested in her and my future without hesitation.

If the people around you that you get advice from don’t harbour that feeling then keep looking. Do your homework on them, dig deep, challenge them, and you will quickly understand whether or not they have the expertise you are looking for. Their expertise will continue to grow, as will you.

(I’m happy to share the details of my physiotherapist if you want to access her skills, but she is Oxfordshire based)