What you know makes you dumb
Peter Drucker said, “Far too many people – especially people with great expertise in one area-are contemptuous of knowledge in other areas or believe that being bright is a substitute for knowledge.”
Leaders in religious organizations know matters of faith and may believe their knowledge of sacred texts is a substitute for sound leadership and management principles.
Managers in the manufacturing arena know matters of process, procedure and constant improvement. They may believe knowledge of Lean Manufacturing principles is a substitute for understanding matters of the heart and meaning.
Warning
Detail oriented people may believe more attention to detail results in organizational success. Visionaries believe dreams drive success and planners think we need more plans. All the while, executors are sick of all this vain babbling. They think, “Just shut-up and do something already!”
Concentrations of Dumbness
If Drucker is right, the most talented may be the most dangerous. Furthermore, the highest concentrations of dumbness might be found at the highest levels of an organization, where expertise abounds. Edward De Bono put it this way, “Those who think they know – don’t.”
Dealing with expertise induced dumbness
- Learn about yourself through intentional reflection, systematic examination, and 360 degree feedback. It’s likely you don’t know yourself as well as you think. We deceive ourselves.
- Create teams consisting of cross-functional experts. Don’t let all the sales people in a room by themselves.
- If you’re a talker, listen to the quiet people.
- Create safe, legitimate channels of input and feedback from those in the trenches.
- Approach problems and projects from diverse personal-viewpoints. How would a 20 year old solve this problem versus a 50 year old. (single, married, retired, male, female, w/children, etc.)
*****
What expressions of expertise induced dumbness have you seen?
How might individuals and/or organizations deal with expertise induced dumbness?
In my line of work that pays the bills we use video cameras mounted in the car. If you really want have proof that not everything is as it seems and mistakes can be made with out consciously knowing it watch yourself working on video. I have been in my line of work for over 20 years and still make plenty of mistakes. It is funny how you have a different picture until you watch a video of yourself. It is not at all like looking in a mirror. The important things is if you can use tools such as a video camera for learning instead of vanity it can be a great tool
Garrison,
Your experience adds punch to an important topic. Thanks for adding value.
I’ll add that counselors suggest that married couples that struggle with communication should record their conversations. I bet that’s an eye opener.
It’s sobering to catch the idea that our perceptions and view of things might not be accurate.
Best to you,
Dan
Great insight Garrison! Your statement “It is not at all like looking in a mirror,” really struck me. That’s very true. Until they try it, a lot of people might assume otherwise.
Dan –
You hit on an issue that can plague any individual or organization. I spoke to a community service organization (and blogged about it at http://brainzooming.com/?p=5948) that was going through this phenomenon. They’d been successful in several large service projects, but were now stuck for what to do next, with a significant part of the group saying it should just do things like it had done before. I used 5 words of inspiration from their organization (enthusiasm, youth, brain, helping, fear) as a way to point out they had the orientation to new thinking, and needed to apply some of the techniques you discuss to reorient themselves to it.
Great post – thanks for addressing this issue!
Mike
Mike,
I appreciate your encouraging words and congrats on helping an organization work through it’s potential dumbness. Very cool.
Thanks for leaving a link to a resource you offer the community.
BTW, I always hate it when people turn what I believer against me when I’m not being consistent. (like you did by using their words “against them.”)
Cheers,
Dan
Wow! In a nutshell, good leaders need to be well rounded, and open minded. Successful Leaders are experts at putting together a team that works well, each member bringing to bear their skills that move the organization forwaard. Did I get the gist of the article?
Cleo,
Let your expertise be gathering teams of diverse experts… well said.
Best,
Dan
Putting a good team together is tough. It is imperative for a good leader to surround themselves with a great team. That team is going to do the lions share of the work and be responsible for moving the project forward (or not).
-Matt
Dear Dan,
Peter Drucker is right. Thinking that I know everything blocks imagination. It creates limitation for ideas. On the other hand, when you say, I have to think or I want to know more, it actually broadens your boundary and opens you up for more ideas.I agree that people from varied experience and exposure are more resilient than those who has seen vertical success in particular area. Cross cultural, cross functional knowledge makes the person humble, down to earth and real.
I have seen people saying before you complete your statement that ” Yes I know it. They try to show that they know everything. This approach blocks creativity and innovation. The person who questions and ask why and how, he creates culture of creativity and performance.
Organization can deal with expertise induced dumbness by discouraging the attitude, actions and behavior of knowing everything. Organization should encourage the practices of listening, brainstorming, questioning, reasoning and also encourage the ideas from across all the level.
Appreciation and rewarding people with great idea in public will be added value in the process. People should be allowed to explain and discuss ideas in details. So, encouragement of ideas, rewarding people, increasing top down interaction will be of great boosting mechanism to restore effective leadership practices and to discourage expertise induced dumbness.
Dear Ajay,
First of all, I posted at 6:30 and by 7:00 you had completed this great comment. Man, you are fast!
I’m taking several things with me from what you wrote:
I love how you bring the word imagination into the conversation. It seems to open a new door to the conversation.
Cross-cultural, cross-functional makes a person humble. Well stated. I’ll add this dimension. Turf wars are the exception to humility.
From a very practical point of view, “Stop Interrupting,” man that’s painfully practical.
As always, thanks for adding value to the conversation.
Best,
Dan
Ajay is a featured contributor on Leadership Freak. You can read his bio at http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/ajay-gupta
Dan –
What you are describing is a portion of “expert-itis”. It takes us to narrow vision, lack of collaboration, and a closed mind. To open means to be comfortable with that moment when we are not in “control”.
Yesterday I wrote about “when are we too confident to learn”. The emotional component of this “expert-itis” doesn’t have to sink us!
—————–
http://katenasser.com/when-are-we-too-confident-to-learn/
Kate
Kate,
Always glad to see you. Thanks for adding your insights.
Love your post, “… too confident to learn.” Thanks for leaving the link.
Best Regards,
DAn
Kate is a featured contributor on Leadership Freak. Read her bio at http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/kate-nasser
Dan, with a title like this, who would not have read your post? What worries me is the same ego maniac you are looking to advise (as in who needs the advice the most) will probably not read this. As for the rest of us who have our moment of madness (I would be lying if I said I have not done the occasional “Just shut-up and do something already!” so your words are sound this is a great reminder to get over ourselves and actually disengage tongue and engage ears. Have a good one!
Thabo,
You encourage me. Thanks for taking the time to affirm and apply.
If impatience was a virtue, more of us would be virtuous. 🙂
Thanks for jumping in.
Best,
Dan
Saints even!
Dan,
Another great post, congrats. Being in the Navy for over 20 years, I’ve seen this a lot. People fall into the, “We’ve always done it this way” mentality. You made great points as to why it always good to have a well rounded group. I appreciate you and the time you invest in others, thanks.
Greg
“That’s the way we’ve always done it.” I know that all too well. Nothing stifles innovation and creativity faster than that statement.
They Army uses that too.
-Matt
Love the photo used for this post Dan!
This touches an arena that I feel rather passionately about, as this state of being fairly most rejects assistance altogether. If you’re an expert in parenting, why read books on the subject? If you’re an expert in marriage, why ever consider counseling or a “marriage building” event? If you’re an expert in education, why explore new ways to reach a struggling student or improve the educational experience for everyone? If you’re an expert in business, why consult a coach? Why do anything to push your current boundaries? Yada.
I’ve seen it in religious as well as philosophical circles. It’s present in the educational system. Even witnessed it to my surprise in the field of mathematics. And it’s so prevalent in politics (what I call the new religion) today. The idea in general that my way is the right way. Or my way is the only way. There is nothing else outside of that. It’s like being in a cage and can be a difficult barrier to break through.
This doesn’t just plague leadership roles. Ever know someone who is an expert in everything, even in fields they’ve never touched? I’m reminded of a conversation with someone once about selling the home they’d lived in for 25+ years. The owner voiced many concerns over the idea and work she wasn’t sure might need to be done or even the paperwork involved. “Have you talked to a real estate agent? They could really help you know what you need to do and talk to you about the market right now,” I said. “No,” she said, “I already know everything I need to know about my house and this neighborhood. There’s nothing worthwhile an agent could ever tell me.” O_o? Seriously?
In my mind, this type of mentality is the very source of division and stagnation. There is wisdom and growth at the center of many approaches and views. Thank goodness for the experts in my life who can give me other viewpoints and ways of seeing things. I am not eternal enough to contain all the truth and insight of the universe. I have expertise, experience and a perspective that is very useful in many ways. But it ain’t everything.
Julia,
You wove a tapestry of words and insights that carried me along as I read your comment. Love you illustration — “I already know everything I need to know.” A far too frequent sentiment that bounces around organizations killing innovation and maintaining the status quo.
Best Regards,
DAn
Julia is a featured contributor on Leadership Freak. Read her bio at http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/julia
Thanks Dan, :D. You know a common (perhaps even fear based) block occurred to me after writing this morning. It’s a prevalent misnomer to think we have to embrace or commit to another point of view in order to gain from it or find value in it – we don’t. Listening, learning, considering other points of view does not somehow lock us down.
Dan – another fine post. I’ve often noticed that the most divisive people in many organizations are the brilliant functional experts who know so much about their own area that they are completely closed to consideration of what they don’t know.
Mark,
Thanks for your insight. You add a new dimension to the dumb universe.
All the best,
DAn
Mark is a featured contributor on Leadership Freak. Read his bio at http://leadershipfreak.wordpress.com/mark-friedman
Dan: your post today reminded me of my childhood. Growing up , at our house, “DUMB” was a 4-letter word. You could get in as much trouble for using it as other kids did for what George Carlin called the “naughty words”. Punishment for using the “D” work was never a bar of soap. It was homework…having to spend time learning more about a topic,skill, or interest that related to the person or thing you had labeled as “D”. As people – and as companies – we all need to be challenged to move outside our comfort zone and to look at new things and new perspecives. Thanks for always taking that role. —- Joan
“…having to spend time learning more about a topic,skill, or interest that related to the person or thing you had labeled as “D”.”
I’m sure it didn’t feel like it at the time, but that’s awesome! I’ll keep that one in mind with my kids. Might even share with a teacher or two….
Thanks Julia. My Mom was and is a very “smart” lady. Growing up the only real blow up I ever saw between my parents was when my Dad used the “D” word on my Mom in a dinner conversation when they were on different sides about what had happened that day at Kent State between the students and the National Guard. That particular lesson became a family legend.
Joan,
My style is to use the “S” word, stupid. However I tempered it to dumb. I wonder what your mom would have done if one of you used the “S” word.
Great story and parenting principle.
I’m thankful for your participation and encouragement.
Best to you,
Dan
OOOh Dan. The “S” word would have landed you in BIG time trouble. LOL Thanks for always starting my day with something to think about. Have a great day!—Joan
I wish there was a thumbs up on these.
I forget who’s credited with saying it first, but this reminds me of the quote, “For people who see the world as a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.”
Your point is well taken, and a good one to remember – our backgrounds (and related expertise) shape the way we see things so much. People who ignore this do so at their own peril, because it creates so many assumptions about what is most important.
I recently had a conversation with a manager who used a great approach. We spent the first part of the conversation talking through what initially seems to make sense to us; we then spent the second half of the conversation working through all the reasons we could have been been wrong at first, or might have missed something.
Tim: I always liked the “hammer” quote too. As an FYI, the most common attribution is Abraham Maslow. You can find more here. http://www.abraham-maslow.com/m_motivation/Maslow_Quotes.asp.
Thanks for making a great point and sharing an example of how to challenge our assumptions. — Joan
Tim:
Ditto to Joan! And Joan, thanks for bopping around this post and sharing your insights and enhancing the conversation. You rock.
Best,
Dan
Iron sharpens iron.
One plus one equals three (synergy).
We were created for community.
No one was ever effective in a vacuum.
Scott,
Always a pleasure! Your comment looks like a poem waiting to happen.
Cheers,
Dan
-Dan
I’ve seen very, very bright people who are average or worse. When I taught at the university, my brightest student was the worst academically and ended up flunking out of school all together. He thought he knew it all. He hasn’t done anything with himself.
Raw intelligence doesn’t impress me anymore. Show me. Show me something that involves hard work and dedication with success.
Over the last year I’ve become very close with a new friend who is a small business owner and is very successful. He didn’t graduate from high school. He thought he had all the answers back when he was 17. After some self reflection and years of uncertainty he created his own niche market.
Now he runs a very successful business. He’s learned from his mistakes, knows his shortcomings and has overcome. Much different than another friend of mine who knows everything and is an unemployed lawyer.
-Matt
Matt,
Awesome comment. Love the story and your insight about the brightest and most talented. I’ve read an article or two that supports your points.
I’m a big fan of “average joe.” I wrote about it somewhere. 🙂
I’m thankful you stopped in today.
Best,
Dan
Dan,
Great post (as usual!). This one is scary because none of us know what we don’t know! Your tips are right on. One tool I’ve found helpful is Whole Brain Thinking methodology. It allows you to “walk-around” the different styles of thinking (even the ones you don’t necessarily prefer). It helps you not miss anything.
I wrote about it here: http://geoffreywebb.wordpress.com/2010/06/24/4-reasons-to-lead-with-your-whole-brain/
Thanks, Dan – Keep ’em coming!
Geoff,
Always glad to see you’ve stopped in. Thanks for adding another tool to help us “get over ourselves” and get smarter.
Best to you,
Dan
What expressions of expertise induced dumbness have you seen?
How might individuals and/or organizations deal with expertise induced dumbness?
Let me just put myself right in the crosshairs of THIS discussion. When we were moving into our organization’s new building in 1998, there were signs up that told us to take the stairs – I don’t remember why, I think the elevators were being serviced or something. Well, moving an entire office worth of 30+ people is no small feat. Being an “expert” at reading signs and following rules, i told the mover guys that they would have to take the stairs. *INSERT HEARTY LAUGH HERE* Laughing wasn’t their complete reaction but you get the idea!
As far as dealing with “expertise induced” dumbness I think you hit the nail on the head when you discussed cross training. I have seen it in call centers over and over again – manuals are written and trainings given by people who don’t answer the phone anymore (or deal with the chat or respond to the emails – obviously the channels are growing) – so the content that is written adn the instructions that are given, as “expert” as they may be from a content perspective, is utterly ineffective in a “live” call situation. Put those folks on the phone for half an hour and I would wager their entire perspective and approach would be likely to change.
Great threads, woven well today, thanks all, fun read!
So, one best practice model indicates that after 10,000 hours of practice you may have mastered a task (not sure that applies to the width and depth of leadership).
Practice means lots of mistakes and ‘learnings’ and perhaps more accurately, after 10,000 hours you finally know that you don’t know. Somewhere, magically(?), we shed our ‘student’ persona/clothing and become an expert/emperor and may eventually be wearing the emperor’s new garb if we are not paying attention.
Got me thinking about Buckminster Fuller’s perspectives on humility and being an expert on this earth…”the most important fact about Spaceship Earth: an instruction manual didn’t come with it.” Seems that may also be true for leadership.
Finally, still with Bucky’s thoughts on learning…”dare to be naive”.
Perhaps leaders need to be trimtabs!
Doc, love your comments. Reminds me of the Greek origin of the word sophomore, (sophos moros). “Wise-fool.” I suppose that’s the danger for anyone is to get stuck in a sophomoric point of view.
Great content sir! Thanks for sharing!!
This post struck a chord with me. The lack of appreciation across sectors for what (and how) the other sectors contribute to civil society is often a big source of conflict and disdain that is really counterproductive. I have seen it time and again – growing up in the business world that viewed public sector as ‘less than’ and then working for government agencies who claimed moral superiority over business people who ‘only care about money’ and then working in the non-profit sector where you have virtue only if you are stuggling. Drucker’s use of the word “contemptuous” is illustrative. The most recent one I heard (that I thought was dead long ago…) was the adage “those who can, do… those who can’t, ___.” I bet you can fill in the blank! I filled it in with “rely on teachers to show them how.” Or “______ should run like a business.” I filled it in with “business”! If we turned that contempt into appreciation, listened more and learned what the other sectors and disciplines have to teach us, we would all be better off! “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts” – John Wooden
Dan –
As usual, a most engaging question and framework.
I use a bunch of quotes that anchor to a cartoon to try to get some divergent thinking working.
The start is an illustration depicting a wooden wagon being pulled by a guy with a rope and being pushed by people from behind. The rope tends to insulate and isolate the wagon puller and the people pushing cannot see where they are going or even much other than “boards and hands.”
The wagon is rolling along on wooden Square Wheels® — these work, but they do not work smoothly. The wagon thumps and bumps along and the pushers know it. The puller? Good question…
The cargo of the wagon are round rubber tires. Some have rims, some do not, and we know nothing other than that. Might they have air”? Might the rims match the axles?
So, the key to this is to take the point of view of the viewer – to disengage and “step back from the wagon.” Only then can people get a more objective view and more perspective.
Some of the anchor points I make:
“The View from the Back is different than the View from the Front.”
“Don’t just DO Something, Stand There.”
“A desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world.”
The Round Wheels of today become the Square Wheels of Tomorrow.”
“We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are.” (Max DePree)
I use this and many other illustrations from this anchor point to play with ideas, generate other issues and opportunities, and facilitate discussion. And it is amazing, how these illustrations work like Organizational Rorschach Images. Really. People project their ideas onto the illustrations and I teach people to simply facilitate the discussions and listen to what bubbles out.
Oh yeah, I also have a wooden wagon like the above “up to its axles” in some stuff: Could be mud. Could be grinding paste. Could be cement, even.
See more at http://www.PerformanceManagementCompany,com if you are interested. (yeah, a plug!)
.
Great visual Scott, thanks!
“Move away from the wagon…this is an unsafe leadership position, especially going downhill.”
Hi Dan, finally back. Just a quick note to state that I don’t ever remember being confident enough in anything I have done not to know I can do it better next time. I love the quote from Steve Jobs “Stay foolish, stay hungry.” My initial premise will always be to stay hungry and the only way to accomplish that is to always and I mean eternally feel hungry and never satiated. Presuming to know it all or feel like the expert is the perfect formula for failure and disappointment. I am an expert in nothing and a student always. I would like to thank the LF Community for a most fascinating and interesting conversation and for providing me if anything perhaps with something I actually may excel at so let me sit back, relax, “be the apprentice” and enjoy the mentoring. 🙂 Al
Dan, thanks for the great perspective. A wise man once told me that as I am building my team, to surround myself with people that I want to listen to. I needed to insure that I wasn’t the smartest person in my organization. This article magnifies his wisdom. Thanks for “amping” things up a bit for me!
Regards,
Van
Dan. Another great post. It reminds me of the story about what BS, MS and PhD really stand for. My observation is that you have too many “experts” and no polymaths or generalists, the big picture gets overlooked and the silo walls keep going up. If we’re going to innovate, we need to break down the walls between functions and enable peer to peer communications. Perhaps it’s time that we looked into bringing back “Renaissance” type education at the elementary and secondary school level.
Love this conversation! Very stimulating. I read your posts all the time and have never posted a comment. I think it’s because I feel a bit intimidated by the obvious brain power of you and others in the “room”.
This just really hit home for me so I decided to join in the conversation. Reminds me of a simple statement I use often while coaching others.
“Must you always control Everything?” Control is NOT the problem. “Always” and “everything” are the problems.
Over the years I have also discovered that GREAT teams can accomplish what individuals can’t! “One” is usually too small of a number to accomplish greatness.
Ken,
It’s a delight that you joined the conversation. Thanks for adding value.
Love your statement and whole heartedly agree that “one” is usually too small a number to accomplish greatness. I’ll add this one, “Don’t narrow the dream, expand the team.”
Hope to see you again soon.
Best,
Dan