How do you define expertise within your profession? Here are some ideas –
- Skill mastery
- Results
- Number of sales, patients or customers coming to you
- Customer and peer recognition of your strengths within the profession
- Income
Probably a combination of these helps you identify an expert in your field.
Results reminds me of the case where the surgery was a success but the patient died. Perhaps there was skill mastery in there and yet the result does not reflect that. There was so much more to the situation.
In the introduction to Being Mortal, Atul Gawande wrote “You become a doctor for what you imagine to be the satisfaction of the work, and that turns out to be the satisfaction of competence.” He noted that there is “nothing more threatening to who you think you are than a patient with a problem you cannot solve”
In healthcare today, there are many problems that can’t be solved. They often involve complex situations with multiple organ involvement. The lack of being able to provide a solution can be frustrating and lead to a poor sense of self-worth. A limited sense of self-value is a major component of burnout.
The concept of a problem you cannot solve can arise in a variety of fields. So what do you call on to help you improve and deal with these disappointments in an effective manner? Coaches and mentors are great resources for improving mastery. They also help you face your limitations as well as your strengths.
If you are interested in developing your coaching skills, obtaining or renewing your International Coach Federation credential, ACC or PCC, contact me.
I am a nurturer who enjoys coaching others to meet their definition of expertise and mastery. If you are not a coach and have the desire and know what you need to do to develop greater competence but have not yet taken the steps, contact me. You’ll have the opportunity to develop a personal plan so you can move toward expertise.
Here’s to you becoming an expert in your field!
Dina, Well-Being Coach
203.744.YOU3 (9683)
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