How to Become an Expert on Anything in Two Hours

257 Pages·2008·0.72 MB·English

by  Gregory Hartley

How to Become an Expert on
Anything in Two Hours
Gregory Hartley
Maryann Karinch
AMACOM
How to Become an
Expert on Anything
in Two Hours
Gregory Hartley
and
Maryann Karinch
American Management Association
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Hartley,Gregory.
Howtobecomeanexpertonanythingintwohours/GregoryHartleyandMaryann
Karinch.
p.cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN-13:978-0-8144-0992-3(alk.paper)
ISBN-10:0-8144-0992-X(alk.paper)
1.Expertise. 2.Management. I.Karinch,Maryann. II.Title.
BF378.E94H37 2008
001.4—dc22
2008020006
(cid:2)2008GregoryHartleyandMaryannKarinch.
Allrightsreserved.
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.
Thispublicationmaynotbereproduced,
storedinaretrievalsystem,
ortransmittedinwholeorinpart,
inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,
mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise,
withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofAMACOM,
adivisionofAmericanManagementAssociation,
1601Broadway,NewYork,NY10019.
Printingnumber
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To Rick Croley, my best-read friend and sounding
board for enlightening conversation that broadens
my mind
— Greg
To Jim, Mom, and Karl, who help me stay authentic
—Maryann
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Contents
Acknowledgments .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... vii
FlowoftheBook . .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ix
Introduction:TheBasicWhyandHow .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. 1
Part1: TheRoleofHumanNature
Chapter1: TheHumanSideofExpertise .. .. ... ... .. ... ... .. 9
Chapter2: DevelopingYourSkepticism ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. 27
Part2: PlanningandPreparation
Chapter3: BodyLanguageofExperts,ConArtists,andEverybody
Else ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. . 41
Chapter4: TheDrivingForces—Who,What,When . .. ... ... .. 77
Chapter5: ModelsofExpertise—Strategy,Techniques,and
Tactics . ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... 91
Chapter6: TheRoleandShapeofResearch .. ... ... .. ... ... .. 125
Chapter7: PackagingInformation .. .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. 151
Part3: ExecutionandRescue
Chapter8: DeliveringtheGoods ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. 169
Chapter9: KnowingWhentoStop .. .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. 191
Chapter10: RescueSchemes .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. 207
Conclusion:AreYouClosertoTheOne? ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. 229
Appendix:WisdomoftheAges .. ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. 235
Glossary .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... 239
Index.. ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. ... ... .. ... .. ... ... .. . 241
v
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Acknowledgments
ThiscollaborationwouldhaveneveroccurredbutforMichaelDob-
son,whopointedoutthevalueofmyinterrogationknowledgeand
prodded me to write. Maryann has become not only a good co-
author but a good friend along the way. Her voice drives me to
explain things in different ways. Dina supports me and keeps me
centered, no matter what life throws at me. The publishing staff
has been a simple joy to work with. Mike Bosquez has helped to
makethiseasierforme todoalongtheway.Thanks.
GregoryHartley
I join Greg in thanking Michael Dobson for bringing Greg and me
together.ThiscollaborationwithGreghasenrichedmeinsomany
ways, I could write a book about that alone. As always, thank you
to Jim McCormick, an expert in many areas where I really need
expertise, and a source of consistent moral support; to my Mother
for her prayers—I appreciate her and them; and to my brother,
Karl, whose practical knowledge and personal insights have
helped me in many ways. Cheers and thanks to Ellen Kadin for
having faith in this project from the start, and to the rest of our
amazingAMACOMeditorialteam,BarryRichardson,JimBessent,
and Alice Manning. Nods of thanks also to Hank Kennedy, Chris-
tinaParisi,andJacquieFlynnforofferingencouragementandpro-
vocativequestionsinthedevelopmentstages,andtothosewehave
yet to work with at AMACOM to promote the book. Thanks also
to David Hemphill for his publicity photographs of me for this
book—he and Mary make me smile—and to Spider Spradlin for
herillustration.
Maryann Karinch
vii
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Flow of the Book
Understandthenatureofexpertise
andyouknowwhyyoucanbecomeanexpert.
Identifythetypesofpeopleinclinedtoacceptordenyyour
expertiseandyouseewhowill opendoorsorerectbarriers
foryou.
Learntoreadspecificbodylanguage
andunspokenmessageswillprovidecues.
Letwho,what,andwhenguideyourplanning
andyourpreparationwillbetarget-specific.
Designwaystomanageinformation,influencepeople,and
displaystrengthandyoupositionyourselftocontroltheroom.
Researchwithprecisionandlimits
andyouwill knowtheterrainwithoutfallingdowntherabbit
hole.
Matchthestyleofpresentationtoyouraudience’sneedsand
expectationsandyourpackageofinformationwillsuitthe
occasion.
Follow atried-and-truegameplan
andyouwill deliverthegoods.
Structureoptionsforendingyoursession
andthefinalmomentswillaffirmyourexpertise.
Learntoswim
andyouwill notdrown.
ix