What are effective ways to become a subject matter expert in a new field?

Se tornar um especialista em um novo campo, na minha visão exige uma combinação estratégica de estudo profundo, prática aplicada, produção de conteúdo relevante, networking com os nomes certos e validação pública constante. Ao aprender com intenção, aplicar rápido, compartilhar o processo e se posicionar de forma autêntica, você constrói autoridade sobre o tema.

There are so many "experts" in today's world of social media. People are reluctant to trust. So, simply providing value and educating your audience isn't going to cut it. You need to be BOLD, not safe. Pick a side and share your opinions. Prepare to be hated by the other side. Debunk myths and state your facts. That's how you'll stand out.

To become a subject matter expert in a new field, I start by defining my scope clearly. It’s important to identify the specific area or niche within the field that I want to focus on. This allows me to concentrate my efforts on mastering a manageable portion of the subject, rather than trying to learn everything at once. From there, I dive into trusted resources, such as industry reports, books, and online courses, to build a strong foundational understanding. Networking with professionals already established in the field and asking thoughtful questions can also help deepen my knowledge and expose me to valuable insights. Consistent learning and hands-on experience are key to building expertise over time.

Aprende y desaprende! Aprende de tantos expertos de esa nueva área como te sea posible, abre tu mente al conocimiento. Desaprende, muchas veces acumulamos información que o solo es inútil, sino que condiciona mucho nuestra percepción de las cosas y el mundo que nos rodea.

I specialize in optimizing organizational frameworks, defining project scopes, and enhancing dynamic interactions to ensure efficiency, adaptability, and strategic alignment in project-driven environments. العربية: مستشار خبير في هيكلة وإدارة المنظمات المعتمدة على المشاريع (PBOs). أختص في تحسين الأطر التنظيمية، تحديد نطاق المشاريع، وتعزيز التفاعلات الديناميكية لضمان الكفاءة والمرونة والمواءمة الاستراتيجية في البيئات المعتمدة على المشاريع.

É comum nos esquecermos de que podemos utilizar nossa rede de contatos, como o próprio LinkedIn, para conhecer mais sobre assuntos diversos, como aquele do qual se pretende se especializar. Quem são as pessoas que atuam na área ou que já são especialistas no assunto? Contate-as, peça indicação de literaturas, converse sobre o tema conforme seus estudos forem avançando, retome os estudos. A cada conversa depois de uma leitura, novas dúvidas surgirão, novas oportunidades de aprendizagem aparecerão, e mais você conhecerá sobre o assunto para poder avançar para os próximos passos, como a aplicação daquilo que foi aprendido.

Estudar muito e saber ouvir. Ouça as pessoas mais experientes, professores, mais velhos. Em pouco tempo você estará contribuindo.

Use your extra free time to read up on the subject. I have Audible books while driving that get me up to speed. Have your earpods on while cleaning the dishwasher. Play around with the subject regarding to things in your personal life. This way, you will get hands on experience and will put in more hours than most other people, while still reducing the extra time needed.

On peut avoir tendance à considérer nos confrères comme des concurrents et juste comparer ce qu'ils font sans s'en inspirer alors que c'est une richesse d'avoir toutes ces sources de connaissances ! Les réseaux doivent servir à échanger et partager des compétences, connaissances. Et d'ailleurs les algorithmes nous montrent la voie en favorisant les personnes qui interagissent.

Bei der Recherche hilft ein guter Mix an Quellen. So kann man das Thema möglichst breit gefächert erfassen. Um die Leseliste systematisch zu erweitern, lohnt sich auch immer ein Blick in die Quellenangaben von Fachartikeln und Büchern. Die Standardwerke eines bestimmten Fachgebiets findet man meistens mit einer kurzen Onlinerecherche.

reading is just the starting point. 🙌 Real expertise comes from applying what you learn in practical, hands-on ways. In my experience, taking on small projects, testing ideas, or even creating content around what you're learning is one of the best ways to deepen your understanding and build credibility. You don’t have to wait to be an expert to start sharing—you become one by doing.

I know all about different platforms, Shopify is one of them. Being an entrepreneur for more than 25 years in e-commerce I should know everything, right? Wrong! One year ago I started my own webshop, delivering worldwide. It is a family business and I involve my kids in the learning experience. But all things learned were NOT about technology, but about business, logistics and tax. Somebody pushing himself as an expert will talk the talk. Somebody being an example as an expert will talk the talk.

Par expérience le plus compliqué psychologiquement quand vous acquerrez de nouvelles connaissances/compétences c'est de les mettre en application car vous devez sortir de votre zone de confort ! Les livres nous servent de protection mais quand on le ferme et que l'on doit mesurer concrètement ce qu'on a appris, il y a plein de barrières qui peuvent se mettre devant nous. Mon conseil, tester régulièrement des échantillons de ce que vous apprenez.

Networking is such an underrated skill. The most important networks are those that happen naturally and organically - non-transactional. We should really teach networking in the school setting!

Um conceito que aplico é: Utilizar a Técnica de Feynman: estude os conceitos profundamente. Simplificar os conceitos para ensiná-los a um leigo. Identificar e corrigir lacunas no conhecimento ao explicar. Praticar de forma deliberada em projetos reais ou simulados. Estabelecer metas claras e ajuste seu desempenho com feedback contínuo. Integre teoria à prática para solucionar problemas reais. Participar de mentorias, workshops e grupos de discussão. Usar o networking para acelerar e complementar o aprendizado. Essa combinação solidifica o conhecimento e a aplicação efetiva.

The most underrated of all, especially for experts. When we are the best in our field and my colleagues and 1st line network reach out to me, I am the ultimate expert, right? In a sense, yes. But real experts get out of their comfort zone, reaching out for that 2nd and 3rd level contact. You can do this using LinkedIn, or also connecting with your 1st line network, asking them for openings in their network. Being an expert is often a result of hard work. But becoming a recognized expert is a result of networking. It is not about becoming famous (you won't get your own serie on Netflix) but it is about reaching out to people who don't know you and find value in your expertise.

Networking and connections are essential for the success of any entity whether business, volunteer, or philanthropic. You can always find an expert to solve a problem, but you can't always find someone who has exemplarity character and critical thinking skills. These are the great leaders of our time and for all of history!

Dans un domaine comme le digital ou tout va extrêmement vite et évolue quotidiennement, la mise à niveau doit se faire de façon continue et l’apprentissage est constant. Une chose vraie aujourd’hui ne le sera certainement plus demain, donc certes si un socle de connaissances demeure certain, se re challenger au quotidien resté l’une des meilleures façons d’être expert de son domaine .

You've mastered your expertise. You are recognized in the market as an expert in your field. You get a lot of praise. What's next? Getting to the top is easier than staying on top, because the people at the top will put in the hard work, leverage their network and might be better communicators than you. So keep growing, also outside your expertise. In IT I have focussed on technology for quite a long time. But technology without change causes... frustration and no results. Focus on the results. So I have deepened my expertise to learn about governance, team of teams, non-executive boards, executive boards, venture capitalists, mergers & acquisitions and more. This gets me better results, so take that as the next step.

Becoming a subject matter expert in a new field is not a short term process; it requires time, dedication and consistency. To truly master a topic, immerse yourself fully. Start by understanding its history, as this provides essential context. Just as reading a book's preface offers a preview, exploring the origins of a topic helps frame your learning. Understanding the history of a field or topic is a crucial part of mastering it. By learning about its origins, challenges faced and breakthroughs along the way, we can gain deeper insights and a more comprehensive understanding. For example, with AI, knowing how the field evolved from early rulebased systems to ML, and now DL, gives us richer perspective on current technologies.