Congratulations on completing The Expert Trap Test!
Taking this short test is an important first step in understanding how your current work patterns and environment may be shaping your career and development progress.
If you have stumbled onto this page by accident and haven’t completed the 10-question Expert Trap Test, you can access it here. Take me to the test
After completing the Expert Trap Test, you will receive an email with your overall score out of a maximum of 40 in about 10 minutes.
This automated email will provide you the following information:
Your overall score out of 40 will be shown at the bottom of this section of the email. In the example above, the overall score is 23. Following your overall score in the same email will be the individual scores you provided for each of the ten questions in the test.
Your overall score will suggest the extent to which you may be “trapped” within your organisation — or, alternatively, how effectively you’ve positioned yourself to grow and contribute strategically. The commentary immediately explains what your score means and provides suggestions to help you take control of your development, strengthen your influence, and expand your impact.
Use the insights in this report to identify practical actions you can take now to move your career forward. And if you’d like further support or to explore your results in more depth, contact us at the Expertship Institute.
YOUR RESULTS
30 or over – ARRGGHH! YOU ARE TRAPPED IN THE EXPERT TRAP
You’ve answered “like me” or “completely like me” to most of the ten questions in the test, and that puts you, apologies, firmly in the Expert Trap. We guess that you knew that already. We have shaped these questions around the top ten signals that your technical contribution is so relied upon by colleagues and management that you’ll have little chance to add value by spending time on higher-order, more strategic work. We guess that you knew that already. But don’t despair, you can start work on an Escape Plan straight away.
21 – 29 – IN THE DANGER ZONE
Warning, warning – you could be about to slip into the Expert Trap. You are still in the reactive rather than proactive zone when it comes to the work you do, much of which sounds as if it is tactical rather than strategic. It may be time for you to really focus on building the capability of those around you so that you don’t become the only person capable of doing highly complex work. It is also time to start building broad organisation-wide stakeholder relationships, informing you of the big challenges the organisation faces in the future, and helping you identify how you might contribute to these opportunities and threats. You need to work on your influencing skills and ability to articulate the strategic importance of your work. Shaping an Escape Plan may help you avoid falling into the Expert Trap.
To assist you in your Escape Plan, consider purchasing The Expertship Growth Guide, the world’s first development planning guide designed specifically for experts.
20 or below – FREE AND PRODUCTIVE.
Many congratulations, you are officially not trapped. You’ve clearly prioritised the most important work based on a wide knowledge of what the organisation needs today and tomorrow, generated from a broad range of positive stakeholder relationships. You’ve built the capability of those around you to deal with mundane tasks and easy fixes, creating time for you to be strategic and value-adding. Your influencing skills, understanding, and effective articulation of strategic alignment enable you to build coalitions of the willing and get things done. You are invited often and early into strategic discussions, and this helps you contribute to shaping technical direction and priorities. Don’t bother shaping an Escape Plan, you don’t need it. But consider – do you know colleagues who are trapped and you could help by mentoring and coaching them? Lean in!
OTHER RESOURCES
We are passionate about helping real experts like you have real impact and influence in your ogranisations or communites. See how else we can help you invest in your career as an expert.
Finally, let us introduce you to Alix, our AI Expertship Mentor. Alix can help you with almost any question you may have about developing yourself further, creating greater opportunities, or overcoming obstacles at work. Visit Alix now
