You're the expert - so quit acting like an unexposed fraud!

Julian Consulting

Promoting healthy teams: The right people with the right fit, enjoying right relationships.

January 2013

Greetings!

In 1991 I was a graduate teaching assistant at Northwestern University. I was assigned to teach an undergraduate course I had never taken as a student. Because the students were bright and motivated and because I was desperately trying to stay one chapter ahead in the textbook, each day I entered the classroom knowing today was the day I would be exposed as the fraud I truly was.

What I was forgetting were all of the life experiences, teaching, and educational expertise I brought with me. I was a blossoming expert acting like an unexposed fraud.

You're the expert - now act like it!

What does it mean for you to be the expert?

I am blessed to work with people from a broad range of organizations and levels of responsibility within those organizations. Here's what I've found. People don't give themselves credit for what they know and do. When you do something naturally and for years on end, you begin to believe that anyone could do it as well as you do. Your expertise is transparent to you and you forget that you really are an expert - that a small percentage of the human population is able to provide what you provide.

You're an expert - now act like it!

What does it mean to act as an expert? It means you have four characteristics.

Characteristic #1: You are self-aware

You know what you know and, hopefully, you know what you don't know. You don't think you know everything, but you realize there are some areas of life you understand very well - far better than the average person. Whether it is how to write a mortgage, open an investment account, teach 2nd graders, or comfort a family when a loved one dies, you know you are skilled at what you do.

Characteristic #2: You are confident

Arrogance is misplaced confidence. Confidence is acting from security and without worrying about how everyone else will react. You know what you are doing and you don't have to have every action approved by someone else.

Characteristic #3: You are a lifelong learner

You keep learning and growing. You are better today at what you do than you were five years ago and better than you were 12 months ago. Your trajectory is up.

Characteristic #4: You are a specialist

Within your area of expertise you may act as a generalist, but compared to the general public you are a specialist. Despite my expertise in anti-slavery rhetoric of the 1820s and 30s, I ended up at a college where I taught Mass Media and Interpersonal Communication in addition to History of American Public Address. Within my field I acted as a generalist but compared to most I am a specialist in human communication.

Quit acting like an unexposed fraud - act like the expert that you are! Act with self-awareness, confidence, continuing growth, and expertise.

At Julian Consulting we are committed to your effectiveness. We want to help you excel as an expert in your field by serving you as experts in ours!

Pick 4
An effective way to reach your 2013 goals!

It's a new year and a renewed opportunity to set meaningful goals. A great tool I've discovered is Pick 4 (click on the link to buy from Amazon).

This resource leads you through a goal-setting and goal-reaching process. First you identify a large number of goals you'd like to achieve. Second you identify what's in it for you and those you love if you achieve each goal - only keeping goals you're actually motivated to pursue. Third you sort goals into areas of life (e.g., career, family, spiritual, etc.) so that you can achieve some sense of balance. Finally you pick four goals (thus the name) and commit to tracking your progress on them for the next 12 weeks.

Five days per week you write down what you did to achieve each of the four goals and answer one simple question: "Is this enough?"

After 12 weeks you review your progress.

The best part? You can only buy this resource as a pack of four so you are encouraged to share this with others. I've been handing these out to clients, family members, and friends.

Need someone to help hold you accountable through this process? That's why we provide individualized executive coaching - to help our clients achieve success professionally and personally.

Here's to a life-improving 2013!

Thanks for reading.

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Remember, I'm committed to your professional and personal success!