The expert who won’t consider other opinions may cease to be the expert.
A good expert can help an organization avoid a lot of mistakes.
An expert can also help an organization avoid valuable new learning that could lead to better, more innovative solutions.
An expert might have blind spots that prevent ideas better suited to current circumstances than a previous best practice.
So wear your hat of an expert high and proud—high enough to still see and hear other ideas. Secure enough to consider them before you decide they aren’t a new best practice.
Before you pass your judgment, ask yourself these questions:
- What’s different about this organization right now that might require an innovative solution?
- What is the context that a colleague might be using to frame a new idea, and what can I learn from that point-of view?
- Is the problem we’re trying to solve different than the best practice I would recommend?
Keep an open mind, respect the ideas of others, promote a learning organization, and instead of an expert’s hat, you might find that it’s the mantle of a leader that you’re now wearing.
A Marketplace of Ideas 