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Feb 13 2018

Do Experts Still Matter?

These are dangerous times. Never have so many people had so much access to so much knowledge and yet have been so resistant to learning anything. – Tom Nichols, Professor of National Security Affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, and five-time undefeated Jeopardy! Champion.

Lately, I’ve noticed increasing criticism of and disdain towards professionals regardless of their areas of specialization. It’s as if ‘experts’ are a now a silly myth. Are they really something to shrug at, or dismiss like an annoying opinion poll?  This growing mindset is disturbing in part because I invested almost 10 years to earn my doctorate in psychology and I have been equally dedicated while working in my chosen profession.

Definition of expertsIn the past, I used to chuckle at anecdotal arguments against facts that were 100% evidence-based. This was mainly because I assumed most people were informed or at the very least humble enough to recognize when they weren’t experts on a given topic. Moreover, when it mattered, they would seek advice from someone who really knows about the relevant subject area.

I’m no longer laughing.

Right before my eyes, I see too many instances where experts are ignored in favour of people who have a big audience regardless of their knowledge or credibility. For example, public figures and celebrities with zero medical or health-related education that declare vaccines are useless, or worse … dangerous … despite reams of scientific evidence that shows their true value. Similarly, powerful politicians and special interest groups have joined forces to ignore the science and knowledge around climate change. These folks are determined to deny that climate change is real. They argue that the scientific literature is fake.

It’s off-putting to watch someone disregard a genuine specialist, and then seek help or guidance from a source that has no skills or established credentials. For instance, Adam Frank noted in his recent article, whether it’s legal advice or car repairs, getting services from someone with relevant training and experience is usually what people want. Normally, these are decent, sought after qualities.

So what is happening? Why has the use of the word ‘expert’ significantly changed? 

In part, the problem stems from the evolution of social media. We live in an era where anyone who wants to share their thoughts, whether it’s a well-informed thought/opinion or it is based on biased and superficial opinions, can easily reach out to thousands if not millions. In today’s world, it’s easy to ‘publish’ whatever we want on websites, YouTube, or blogs without the obligation of going through an editor or a peer-review process.

Why are we so ready to make the experts irrelevant? In our professional and our personal lives, we must continually question the printed words that come from newspapers, social media, and magazines. This is a crucial time when we should reconsider our expectations of what an expert is, and reclaim the importance of finding the ‘real’ ones.

One advantage of this new reality is that it’s lowered the barriers to public self-expression. It’s made information sharing appear more democratic. Yet, one glaring disadvantage is that occasionally well-funded misinformation can get passed off as factual (e.g., the combined efforts of fossil fuel industry insiders and certain politicianswho reject the existence and threats of climate change).

Similarly, in unregulated fields and industries, any ‘coach’ or ‘consultant’ can publish a website and promote themselves as a service provider. When the marketing is effective, it is very difficult to distinguish between better and poorer quality services. This means that there is a lot of variety in the coaching and consulting industries.

Consumers deserve more

I won’t say that people need ‘big’ credentials to excel at what they are doing, but given what’s at stake for people’s businesses and careers, shouldn’t consumers demand and be given more? At a minimum, shouldn’t we all request a certain level of experience and training? When you’re paying an ‘expert’ to solve a problem that has you stumped is a few days of training enough?

In previous articles, I’ve discussed some of the complex challenges that recent graduates and moreexperienced workers are facing. The circumstances that both cohorts now experience leave many stuck and unsure of what to do to get unstuck and make gains in their careers. The changes that we can anticipate within many workplaces due to automation will add to those challenges.

Finally, when it comes to your career or your employees, the stakes are high. Count on credible experience and knowledge that you know you can trust.

If you’d like to discuss any career-related challenges that you’re experiencing – or you’d like to do some strategic planning to prevent these types of problems, I invite you to contact me by email, phone, or via direct message on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn  to discuss any of these topics in more detail.

More than career coaching, it’s career psychology®.

I/O Advisory Services – Building Resilient Careers.

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Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Dr. Helen Ofosu · Tagged: experrts, professionals, specialization

Apr 11 2015

What Is The Deal With Membership Sites?

Malene Jorgensen

A membership site as a business model is becoming a very interesting way of doing business. Many people have found that teasing some content in a webinar and then offering paid content to customers is a profitable way of doing business. For example, a personal coach gives a webinar on the importance of having a healthy life in all aspects.

Once the webinar is done, the creator will give a discount on a course or a membership deal that gives customers tools to get that ideal lifestyle. This can be PDFs, videos and other goodies, only accessible via a paid membership.

This is a business model that has grown tremendously over the past year. But as with any business model, this is not a guaranteed model. Even though some people have found success using this model, this is far from a successful one.  Many people will simply copy concepts and information already used by professionals.

In addition, there are marketing hurdles, as webinars are best marketed on social media pages. But you will be competing with all other webinars and memberships available online.

If you can put your own twist on this membership business structure, feel free to try it out.

Malene Jorgensen is an entrepreneur, author and speaker. Jorgensen is passionate about online content, blogging, online business development and e-commerce. She owns an international media publishing company and a design studio. Jorgensen has written several books that are sold in over 50 countries. She is also obsessed with coffee and Twitter. You can reach Malene Jorgensen at Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram

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Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Malene Jorgensen · Tagged: business, business development, business model, business owner, Canadian Small Business Women, customer tools, customers, Malene Jorgensen, memberships, paid membership, personal coach, planning, professionals, webinar

Nov 01 2014

Susan Shannon: Canadian Small Business Woman of the Month of October 2014

Shannon_Headshots

Susan has over twenty five years experience working in municipal and provincial governments in senior level positions, including as Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). In 2007, she decided to start her own independent consulting business and she continues to operate it from her home in beautiful Muskoka.  As a result of her experiences as a CAO not being able to find the services she needed, she saw the need for her new website – muniSERV.ca – a one-stop location that helps municipalities and professionals connect.  

FREE for municipalities to use, muniSERV lets municipalities search for the consultants and other professional services they need from our searchable database. The database categorizes the service offerings of our professional members so municipalities can quickly and easily find the professional services they need, saving them time and money while offering a wider range of consulting and servicing options – and ultimately more competitive quotes.

muniSERV is also Canada’s newest online solution for consultants and other professionals to connect directly to their municipal clients, find work and expand their businesses. There is a free Basic membership for consultants/professionals or enhanced paid memberships depending on their needs.

 

Our Q & A with Susan Shannon

 

What Inspires You?

What inspires me is my passion for local government.  I still have contracts and work with the CAOs, City Managers and Directors of Human Resources from Ontario’s large urban municipalities, so I am still very much in tune and understand first-hand the issues and the budgetary constraints municipalities face.  I showcase muniSERV at municipal conferences and it always inspires me when I see municipal representatives getting excited about this free tool. That’s also what keeps me always searching for other solutions that will help both our municipal and professional members.

As a small business owner, what achievements make you most proud?

I am most proud of the fact I have already witnessed, that the service I’m providing is helping both municipalities and consultants/professionals.  I am extremely proud that we have been able to attract municipal and professional members from across Canada in our first year!  This proves to me that there is a need for this tool.  And, I am delighted when I hear that a consultant’s website has seen improved SEO optimization by becoming a muniSERV professional member, or when they let tell me a municipality has found them from the site.  That tells me the site is working the way it should for both our professional and municipal members.

What advice would you give to other aspiring small business owners?

My advice to other aspiring small business owners is, if you have a passion and an idea, do your research and then go for it!  As much as I have enjoyed working in municipal and provincial governments, there is nothing that is more satisfying than working for yourself and watching your business grow right before your eyes.  Be prepared though, that there will be long hours (but you will enjoy them more), and there will be both encouraging and discouraging days from time to time.

But in true entrepreneurial spirit, I think those discouraging days only serve to make you want to dig in harder to try different approaches in order to succeed.
What new things can we look forward to from your business in the upcoming year?

We have an exciting second year coming up.  I am currently working on a number of collaborations that will enhance the muniSERV site and the services provided, for both our municipal and professional members.   We will also be working on adding more municipal members from across Canada and we are always looking for more consultants and professionals to set up profiles in muniSERV.  When they do, it helps municipalities find the services they need and it helps our professional members get an opportunity to showcase their services directly to their target market – municipalities.

So if you offer or would like to offer, consulting and/or professional services to municipal clients or if you know of someone who does, feel free to set up a profile or spread the word about  muniSERV.ca  – A Real Business Solution for Both of Us!

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Written by Dwania Peele · Categorized: Small Business Woman of the Month · Tagged: business, business development, Canada, Canadian Small Business Women, CAO, Chief Administrative Officer, consulting, database, entrepreneur, municipal, muniServ, muniServ.ca, Muskoka, professional members, professional services, professionals, provincial, provincial governments, small business, small business development, small business owner, Susan Shannon

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