In 1992 I began teaching desktop software. My days consisted of teaching people desktop software product basics and my nights consisted of trying to find the correct answers to questions I “missed” that day and learning more software for the next morning.
Word one day, Excel the next, PowerPoint, Paradox, Word on DOS (yes, really), Freelance…”Got a book? I’ll learn it.”
Energizing and mind-expanding…but grueling.
In 1993 I saw Lotus Notes and realized that here was a product that was very cool, had a future, could be profitable for me and it was big enough that I could be “an expert” in this one product and make a living.
Taught a lot of people how to create Notes apps and administer servers. Life was good. I became an actual expert and it was great actually knowing something.
Then I started developing a lot of Notes and Domino apps. Lots more learning. Over time I became an expert on building certain kinds of applications. Pretty much I knew the questions they were going to ask, the ones they should be asking and the answers, suggestions and techniques for all of them. Bam! I was an expert. Halcyon days once again!
This week we had two different potential clients tell us essentially “you have thought of everything.”
There is no way we have “thought of everything” but we’ve thought of a lot and done this a lot so I’ll say it…yup, pretty much I am an expert at this stuff. Right now today, perhaps the only expert in the world. Gonna’ bask in that feeling for a day. Ahhh…
Think about what you know and do and give yourself some credit for just flat out knowing almost everything about something.
You’re an expert. Enjoy that feeling every once in a while.
(Maybe think about sharing your expertise at IBM Connect 2014, too!)