Network of Experts

I call it “just-in-time information” – get the information you need when you need it. In a college management class, one of the most important things the instructor taught me was you don’t have to know it all – you just have to know how to find out (in a timely manner). It was very liberating.

One way to do this is to create a network of experts who can provide what you need, when you need it (and you do the same for them).

One way I built my network of experts was by networking. I went to bunches of professional meetings and met people from a wide variety of fields. It was also fun!

One of the great benefits of the Internet is your experts could easily be virtual. And, you don’t even need to know them. They could have websites with lots of content on a topic you occasionally need to research. When I need technology information like hardware reviews, I have certain websites I use as starting places. The Internet has made the job of finding information a piece of cake (although it’s a really big piece that takes some work to cut into byte-size pieces!).

One other piece of advice when you’re using online experts — get to know who they are before you accept them as experts. What experience do they have? What education? How do they earn their money? Do your due diligence and you should be able to get great expertise at a reasonable cost (if not free).

How are you building your network of experts?