by John Geracitano
Famed physicist Max Planck gave countless speeches on his research in the company of his trusty chauffeur, who listened to each one. They once switched roles for fun, and the chauffeur gave Planck’s speech without fault. But when he was asked a technical question later from the audience, the chauffeur wavered. Smiling, he exclaimed that it was so easy even his chauffeur (Max Planck) could answer it.
The chauffeur had memorized a niche set of technical principles that enabled his portrayal of expertise, yet in reality he had no working knowledge of the concepts. Chauffeur knowledge came to be a term for the passive knowledge one can pretend to know, but does not hold any mastery over.
This term resonates with the anxiety many professionals face. Picture yourself in a large, cross-functional meeting, where the discussion veers into a topic that’s not your area of expertise. You’re keeping up, but your confidence starts to flag as the conversation deepens. This usually happens when the communications officer details why services are limited at certain locations or when the lawyer cites precedents or regulations only they understand. Both examples result in a gap in understanding the big picture. Leaders with merely chauffeur knowledge on niche topics may struggle to make confident decisions.
There are many ways to overcome this experience of chauffeur knowledge. However, I recommend a simple solution: working. Focused work always works. Intense effort on a singular task produces valuable results. The trick is creating a routine and environment supporting this elevated attention and purposeful intention. Here are three sequential steps to help move past chauffeur knowledge, which apply to your professional and personal life.
- Reflect
Reflect on the areas and concepts at work that are challenging for you. What are your weak points as a leader? What system or process do you not understand that was discussed during the last meeting?
Do you understand what the Electronic Warfare Officer is talking about and why it matters? Do you know how the tactical internet works at your austere location? These questions won’t be apparent immediately, but they will emerge as you reflect and increase your overall awareness. Capture all of this on paper. Then, digitize (if not already), categorize, and prioritize. Each category can have its own priority listing. This will generate an initial baseline of your actions to improve. This reflection session should be a recurring event, such as weekly, to reassess your priorities and growth since last time. Consistent reflection helps you truly see yourself and assess the knowledge gaps that can be turned into learning objectives to begin working toward.
- Find Daily Incremental Growth
The drum beat continues: small daily actions accumulate and pay dividends over time. Writing or practicing an instrument each day will lead to significant achievements. An inspiring resource for this approach is Stephen Duneier’s TED talk, “How to Achieve Your Most Ambitious Goals.” Duneier details how he achieved unthinkable achievements in his personal life through small incremental adjustments over time. The goals from this incremental approach should be derived from your reflection sessions and range from personal to professional pursuits. The only catch is that this must be a focused effort.
Daniel Coyle expertly examined deep practice in his book The Talent Code. He found that those considered experts in their domain sustained a hyper-focused approach during practice or research. For example, a musician practicing a song will stop when they make a mistake and start over until that portion of the song is mastered. This is opposed to finishing the song in its entirety. Once you internalize the power of this methodology, you’ll need to be consistent, which is where step three comes in to synthesize all of this together.
- Timebox
If done right, you should now have a prioritized list of actions identified during reflection and an understanding of the importance of incremental growth. Now, we must plan.
Timeboxing is simply translating your action list (or to-do list) onto a calendar, preferably digitally. Most of us do this already to manage meetings and family events. However, the time boxes are derived from your action list. (Even creating timeboxes on your calendar is a task that requires focused effort and dedicated time.) This might seem overly simple, but intentionally planning your next day with this method forces you to be focused on one task at a time. If you color code certain activities (e.g., green boxes are for personal fitness and blue for family time), you can also quickly see if you are touching on all the aspects you value most. Moreover, using a digital calendar allows you to share with others what you have going on and can serve as a history you can refer to (if needed). Timeboxing’s simplicity makes it easy to adopt, and its benefits are quickly realized.
Check out the book Timeboxing: The Power of Doing One Thing at a Time by Marc Zao-Sanders to dig deeper into this concept. In the last section, Zao-Sanders details how he was able to write the book in a few months by timeboxing his writing sessions, which totaled about 5 hours of planning and writing per week. Timeboxing has been empowering and has served as a forcing function for me to stay focused and ultimately more productive.
From Chauffeur Knowledge to Professional Expertise
By adopting the above actions as a habit, you will undoubtedly see the benefits in your professional and personal life. From grasping the key concepts in all other disciplines to realizing that you aren’t consistently pursuing your goals, this process will pave the way for your long-term growth. Transition from having “chauffeur knowledge” to truly understanding your profession’s critical domain concepts and those it interacts with.
John Geracitano is a U.S. Army Signal officer currently serving as a doctoral student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Formerly an Armor officer, John’s most recent positions include Deputy G6, Brigade S6, and Task Force Operations Officer.
