How To Be An Expert

It takes more than knowledge to be an expert -- you also need to know how to apply it. Here's how to be an expert on anything.

By Hara Estroff Marano, published on March 01, 2005 - last reviewed on June 21, 2005

Want to be an expert? It takes more than knowledge, although knowledge is an important part of it.

As an expert, you must develop a knowledge base, contends James Shanteau, professor of psychology at Kansas State University. Yes, experts must be experienced and educated in their field -- continually. "To be an expert you have to know a lot," Shanteau says. "It's a lifelong commitment. You have to keep studying -- you don't stop."

Here are some other things Shanteau has found that you need:

Ability to apply knowledge. Experts must be able to use their knowledge and apply it appropriately to whatever situation they may encounter.

"At one point, I might have thought that knowledge was all you needed to be an expert," Shanteau said. "But we have plenty of studies of individuals who have high knowledge but who don't have the ability to apply that knowledge."

Ability to make the right choices. Once an expert has figured out the right knowledge to apply, one must be able to make the right choices. It's not a matter of simply picking options. Rather, an expert is someone who is able to define the options.

"The choice is being able to identify the right path and the right decision," Shanteau said. "An expert might present an opportunity and say, 'Here is the problem and this is a way we can approach it.'"

Still interested?

Never quit. Experts are those who never give up. They never quit thinking or rethinking. Once a decision has been made, experts go back over the decision and evaluate how to make it better. They never stop probing their own skills.

"An expert never stops thinking ahead," says Shanteau. "Experts may say, 'Well, I made it this time, but if I'm ever in that situation again, what would I do?'"