Our MEAPA Way blog illustrates how we use information and incorporate it into our proven approach to 21st century professional development.   This blog entry is one of the many exercises MEAPA has posted to help individuals think more effectively, take action and achieve the growth required to live with intention and work with purpose.  To host the MEAPA workshop where we walk attendees through a variety of exercises, please click here.  Also be sure to purchase one of our publications by visiting our online store.

There is a classic children's book titled Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel about a steam shovel named Mary Anne and her owner Mike Mulligan. The story focuses on a time of change, when diesel engines were replacing steam. Mike and Mary Anne soon find themselves put out of work by the larger, more efficient machines.  Feeling useless, they eventually are hired to dig out the basement of the town hall building in a small city. Under pressure to work quickly and prove their value, Mike and Mary Anne do what they do best – dig. They are experts on digging. It is the reason Mary Anne was made and the focus of Mike's work.

They become so focused on the task at hand that they complete the goal and beat their deadline. There is only one problem – they were so intent on digging that they neglected to consider how they would leave the bottom of the hole once it was complete. They certainly achieved the immediate objective but with unintended consequences.

Consider experts in any subject. They know a lot, an awful lot, about one subject. Just ask one and give them time to talk. Often, their knowledge is so focused that the more they pursue it the deeper they get into their own hole of expertise. They are surrounded by what they know, and what they know blocks out their view of other options. There may be information from another discipline that would enhance their knowledge (or even challenge it) but that information remains an unknown, outside of their expertise hole. Today's world, however, demands that individuals across all industries expand their knowledge beyond what the experts say.

In their 2007 Call to Action report, the National Governors Association observed: "The powerful forces that drive today's economy come with no instructions on how to harness them.  How will we create good jobs? How will we promote growth in our local economies?  In short how can we improve our competitiveness?  The answer is innovation." Traditionally the definition of innovation involves a new technological platform or technology based product but the definition as applied here involves a much more sophisticated answer.

According to John Kao, author of Innovation Nation, "innovation is the ability of individuals, companies and entire nations to continuously create their desired future.  Innovation depends on harvesting knowledge from a range of disciplines besides science and technology among them design, social science and the arts.  And it is exemplified by more than just products; services, experiences and processes can be innovative as well."

Having expertise is not a bad thing, but it needs to be managed. Do not close yourself off to possibilities beyond your perception. The best way to do this is to interact with other experts from different fields. A mixture of disciplines tackling ideas will find the most innovative and effective results. In fact, doing this consistently will help you to surpass those who rely on a single area of expertise – even if you are operating within their area of expertise. What industry are you in?

Talk with people in different industries to get a perception on ideas that are different from yours. Read trade journals and books in subjects that do not directly relate to your occupation.  Step away from the group think that prevails within every industry and group of experts and open your mind.