The Challenge

At times, experts are more engaged with their particular technical or professional fields and less concerned with the broader organisational context. Though the organisation might share performance data or high-level articulations of its strategy, the less experienced or mature expert may not regard this as essential reference material for their own work. At other times, the organisation may not perceive that sharing such data with people in technical specialist roles – or inviting them to the relevant meetings – is necessary or advantageous.

Either way, all too often, experts are less informed about the broader organisational context – and perceived to be either uninformed or even disinterested. Their value-add is thus relegated to be purely in relationship with their technical outputs rather than as holistic and vital organisational contributors. This can have numerous problematic implications. They miss out on being able to contribute towards key organisational initiatives and priorities. They are seen as costs – to be reduced – rather than assets to be leveraged. This may in turn constrain their budgets or limit the value placed on their recommendations. They might be focused on lower priorities and be esteemed only in terms of those lesser valued activities.

Such issues can be remedied – in our experience – by an expert making a targeted effort to acquire relevant information about the organisation’s market context – its industry trends, competitors and their activities, customer expectations and preferences, the organisation’s strategies and value propositions, its performance data across several key metrics, etc. Once such information is acquired – and digested – the expert can then better align his/her activities with key organisational strategies, prioritise more effectively, participate in broader organisational conversations and initiatives, make more targeted and compelling presentations, add measurable value and thus elevate their brand from a mere technical contributor to a key organisational navigator, competitive analyst, customer strategist, etc.

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