Introduction – Culture of Experts

Culture of Experts

A quick introduction

Expert is in our DNA

Our pre-human ancestors used division of labor to make their lives more efficient. When pre-humans invented the world’s first complex cutting tools, they also developed the world’s first expert-level skilled trades people. By chiseling rocks, expert tool makers were able to create keen cutting tools with a variety of edges, for a sharper cut. These tools were advantageous over the first cutting tools, which were simple pointed rocks, and very similar to primitive tools that are made by monkeys. The leap from simple tools to complex tools took two million years. Within this time span, our pre-human ancestors not only learned how to modify stones, they learned how to pass their knowledge down from generation to generation.

Millions of years later, early humans raised the bar for expert-level work with ever increasing complexity. They became experts at all things related to survival; tools, shelter, clothing, weaponry, hunting, fishing, agriculture, fire starting, food processing, food preservation and food preparation. Not all early humans were experts, only those who had the opportunity to be mentored and the motivation to reach some level of mastery.

Those who were not experts still did work that was extremely important to survival. They were unskilled and semi-skilled workers, working within environments that were:
Structured
Repetitive
Task-oriented
Process-driven

Those who became masters of skills that were passed down from generation to generation were traditional institution-guided experts. Their capabilities were given specific names and both their specialized techniques and resulting achievements were relatively consistent over time. Through the millennia, these areas of expertise were often used for family surnames.
Baker
Cook
Fisher
Miller
Smith
Taylor
Countless more, most of them requiring translation from different languages

Those who happened to make unconventional leaps; advancements in technique and technology, were Unconventional Experts. For example, they changed history when they discovered that flint rocks were better than most, when trying to make sharp cutting tools. With each advancement, they would prove their capabilities within environments that were:
Unstructured
Complex
Creativity-driven
Strategy-dependent
Project oriented

Expert hunters were experts at tracking animals and killing them with weaponry. Their contributions were significant. Food processing, food preservation and food preparation experts were just as important, to safely store and prepare food. Through the millennia, both non-expert and expert-level contributions made us who we are today. Contributions from non-experts and traditional institution-guided experts solidified survival. Contributions from Unconventional Experts moved technique and technology forward.

Eventually, over thousands of years, currency and social classes blurred the distinctions of individual contributions. The dividers within a division of labor became more difficult to see. There were separations between the educated, highly educated and uneducated. There were classifications that included the upper class, the middle class and the lower class, with occupations that fit into each. More recently, there were classifications that separated white collar workers and blue collar workers. With all of these social complexities, it becomes easy to forget the simple ways in which early humans worked together and survived.

When hiring a new employee

When company leadership opens a REQ, they envision a new and better version of their organization. If an employee adequately fulfills the requirements of this position, whether it be a new hire or a promotion from within, the vision will be realized and the company will benefit.

Important things an organization needs to know about a job candidate:
• Education, skills and experience
• Cultural fit for company
• Career fit for candidate
• Potential for positive results
• Possible red flags

Reasons an organization declined on a job candidate:
• Missing requirements or desirable attributes
• Corporate culture mismatch for the company
• Poor career fit for the candidate
• Uncertain potential
• Red flags

Yes, there is the elusive rock star candidate who checks all of the positive boxes and leaves everyone smiling. But what if?

What if?

What if the person who fills this position is unconventional? What if they have untapped potential? What if they become the explorer, the idea person, the strategist, the visionary, the problem solver, the creator? What if they are able to find mastery and expand their role far beyond the parameters of its original intent? What if the person who fills this position achieves great accomplishments? What if they expand business? What if there is exponential growth? What if they are transformational to the organization? What if they re-shape the vision of leadership? What if they are instrumental in positioning the company for the future?

What if #2?

What if a current employee has the potential to do all of the above, however, leadership never helped realize their potential.

Organizational leadership is not about organizing people.
It’s about organizing people’s potential.

Culture of Experts is not an aptitude test
Many companies use aptitude tests within their hiring process, however, there is great debate over their effectiveness. Some statistics have shown that their success rate is no higher than a flip of a coin. This is because candidates are motivated to achieve high scores and will answer questions in a way that they feel is their best self; or their most marketable self. Human nature will affect the outcome in ways that cannot be compensated for within these tests.

A job candidate, who knew nothing about professional sports, answered questions within a candidate assessment test.

Within a career preference question, he answered:
(A) Sports radio talk show host

Why? Because it was the answer that he thought would lead to the best score. The candidate got the job.

Culture of Experts is about …
• Understanding, recognizing, finding and developing experts. This includes both traditional institution-guided experts and Unconventional Experts.
• Harnessing the curiosity, complexity, creativity and activity of Unconventional Experts, to expand an organization.
• Understanding the separation between individual work-process and operational company-process, to better understand workers and roles.
• Crushing the excuses for mediocrity, that hold employees back and limit their achievement.
• Preparing an organization for the next word-altering technological advancement: Artificial Intelligence.
• More …

Leadership steers the ship, however, their clearest vision can only reach as far as their ship can sail.
To grow, leadership must have deep distance of sight. To get there, they must grow the capabilities of their crew.

Is this an e-book?

This completely free website is similar to an e-book. Different than most e-books, the information is very condensed, void of fluff and filler. The content is not static and can be updated at any point in time. Readers are encouraged to recommend additional information or provide feedback for changes.

Now is the time to start Culture of Experts module #1: Unconventional Positions

Grow a Culture of Experts as you expand your company, use our recruiting services to fill your next open REQ. Go to ww.humancastle.com and call us at (716)222-3535.