Blog
Jun 22, 2017
You ARE an Expert!
by Kevin A. Switaj
At this year’s Bid and Proposal Conference, APMP hosted a workshop for chapter leaders for collectively solving issues that run across our local organizations. I took part in a discussion concerning how we can increase the number of people interested in speaking at our events, including conferences. As we discussed some great ideas to cast a wider net, in my mind I kept coming back to a central issue I’ve heard from many people. Often, potential contributors keep quiet and don’t submit ideas because they don’t feel they have the knowledge, experience, or gravitas to speak. They feel that, since they aren’t an expert, they don’t have anything to contribute that others would find valuable.
I can relate to this mindset. For years, I was a passive member of APMP. I would attend events and conferences but rarely asked questions, did not participate in conversations, and never even thought about presenting. The reason was simple – as a junior member of the field, I felt intimidated. Here were industry heavyweights like Kristin Dufrene, Eric Gregory, and Mike Parkinson, sharing their collective wisdom. I did not feel I could add anything of value to the conversation.
Finally, in late 2015, I said what the heck and took a leap of faith. I had been doing a lot of thinking about how my academic background informed my professional career – mainly because I was tired of being asked ‘how did you get into proposals with a history PhD?’ I had found something where I felt I had some expertise, some knowledge to share with others. I wrote an article for the National Capital Area chapter’s eZine, Executive Summary, entitled, ‘From Historian to Proposal Professional.’
The article was really well-received and started me on my way to more publications and presentations. I have now presented at 4 different APMP events, including twice at this year’s international conference in New Orleans, and have nearly 10 publications to my name. I also blog regularly on industry-related topics (like this one). I’ve also volunteered to co-chair this year’s Mid-Atlantic Conference and Expo, which is on 13 October in Tysons Center.
During that chapter leaders discussion, I coined a new term for what we must do – de-expertize. We need to help junior people in our field understand that they are key contributors to the field, not just in the future when they have more experience but right now. Those under 35 bring a completely different perspective from the previous generations, having grown up fully in the digital age. People who join proposals as a second (or third) career later in life have amazing experiences from their preceding careers that can help inform and improve what we do.
My central advice to those of you who think you don’t have anything to add – stop it. You do. There is at least one thing that you know, think, or do that others in the field can learn from. Identifying it on your own might be a challenge. If you can’t think of anything yourself, ask others. Consider what others in your organization ask for your help for. And don’t limit yourself to just work ideas! What do your family and friends always say you’re good at? What have you learned in your life away from the office that you can or do bring into your work?
For inspiration, look at what you do every day. I find a lot of inspiration for my contributions to the field from what I read and watch. When I read Ed Catmull’s excellent book Creativity, Inc. I got huge inspiration from the way that Pixar Animation Studios reviews its project throughout the creative process. Not only did I implement a ‘brain trust’ model in my organization, I developed a presentation around it that has been really well received. I gave an Ignite talk (5 minute presentation) on how one of my favorite historical figures, Winston Churchill, would have done as a proposal professional. One of the best presentations I saw at Bid and Proposal Con was Hillary Fredrick and Dave Rinaldo on oral presentations, which included segments of a TED talk and two clips of the television series Mad Men.
We all have a story to tell. We all can be contributors to our field and help make it better. All we need to do is try. So put yourself out there. Submit an abstract to an upcoming conference (the Mid Atlantic Conference and Expo deadline for submission is 30 June). To be an expert, all you have to have is an idea.
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