When I was in ROTC in college, I had a very wise instructor. One of the lessons he taught was that it is more important to know how to find out than to actually know something. Since more information is produced every minute than I could learn in a lifetime, I don’t try to know everything. I do try to know the experts in fields related to my primary area of expertise and where to go for specific information. Then, I can stay focused on my area of interest.

Going one step further, let the originator maintain the information.

When I worked with Geographic Information Systems, the ideal system was one where each department created and maintained the information relevant to their needs and mission (the transportation office was responsible for the information about the roads) and made that information available to the other departments. That way, only one department kept complete information about the roads but anyone who needed a simple street map could get it with little effort. I try to apply that principle to the information I use in my business.

The key is having solid resources that maintain the information you need. The Internet can be a great resource, but long-term reliability can be spotty.

How do you find the experts you need? What information do you let others maintain?