Expert
Expert - \ˈek-ˌspərt\ - one with the special skill or knowledge representing mastery of a particular subject
One of the things I’ve been learning on this job is the cost of expertise. All my life I was under the impression that smart people get and understand things faster. The smarter you are, the quicker you understand, the more easily you can apply. That’s a pretty simple statement.
One of my professional goals in taking this job was to become an expert in my field, which is something that this job is known to produce. I’ve met lotsa current and ex-uop guys who have a complete mastery of process and chemical engineering. What I didn’t realize was that the cost of expertise isn’t just exposure to many different things. I can’t just work on one catalytic reforming job and expect to be an expert on that technology.
I had the privilege of working with one of the best process advisors uop has and as I was asking him questions, I was marveled at the depth and complete understand he possessed.
So I asked him “How many isomerization jobs have you done?”
“Too many” was his response.
Hmmm, interesting. “Would you say it gets somewhat boring after a while or do you still learn new things all the time?”
“You’re always learning new things but really, it’s the same old crap every time.”
I learned that day that repetition is the most integral part of becoming an expert. You need to do the same thing over and over and over again. Initially I wanted to avoid repetition and anything that I felt was boring or not challenging. I thought I was wasting my time and not advancing in my career (or my spirituality or anything). I wanted to learn new things all the time. It was a fool’s way of thinking.
Solomon really knew the importance of wisdom. It helps us to make good decisions and to be able to endure hardship and get the most out of it. The Bible says “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.” A truer statement has never been said.
Lord, let me find wisdom. But let me not give up so easily. Let me search and search and search. No matter how laborious and tedious it seems. Let me not tire from the repition of searching. Let me be an expert in finding wisdom. And let it not strip away humility or be for selfish gain or be out of vain ambition, but may it magnify your glory.
