Recently, Sara picked up “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Steven Covey. If you’ve never read it, go down to your local used book store and pickup a copy. It’s worth it in ways I can’t begin to touch here; however, it’s reminded me that maybe I need to go back to the 7th habit, “Sharpening the Saw.”
I’ve been looking at my skills set over the few short years that I’ve been working and I’d have to say, I think I’ve done a relatively good job at broadening my skills; however, I don’t really feel that I’ve become anything close to a subject matter expert. Still, remembering Henry Ford’s quote on being an expert:
None of our men are “experts.” We have most unfortunately found it necessary to get rid of a man as soon as he thinks himself an expert–because no one ever considers himself expert if he really knows his job. A man who knows a job sees so much more to be done than he has done, that he is always pressing forward and never gives up an instant of thought to how good and how efficient he is. Thinking always ahead, thinking always of trying to do more, brings a state of mind in which nothing is impossible. The moment one gets into the “expert” state of mind a great number of things become impossible.
