I am reliably informed by another NGO worker that the term 'expert' & 'expat' is commonly confused here in Cambodia. Who can blame them? There has been a tidal wave of international experts inundating Cambodia with 'good' advice for the past 30 years. Every expat seems to be an expert in something, the words sound similar - hey, it's an easy mistake to make if not without some sense of irony.
The NGO worker 'expert' complex is a difficult conundrum - to have knowledge and skills is of course essential requirement to capacity building but imparting this so that it will adapted and sustainable to a local context is certainly not as easy to achieve. In my experience a common defence mechanism for this challenge is to play your expert card with even more vigour.
There is an interesting book my sister lent me on helping by Edgar Schein (Helping: How to Offer, Give, and Receive Help) It discusses the power dynamic and 'one-upmanship' that is inherent in any helping relationship. It also describes 6 traps that helpers can fall in to;
1) Dispensing wisdom prematurely - thinking you know what help is needed or being asked for and leaping into advice giving when you really haven't a clue.
2) Meeting defensiveness with more pressure - "I don't think you understand my suggestion; let me explain again." I think it is fair to say we have all at some time said these words when in fact it was us that was missing the point.
3) Accepting the problem and over-reacting to the dependence - a common trap for 'experts' who can take over a clients problem without fully understanding the culture. Much of VSO pre-departure addresses this trap.
4) Giving support & reassurance - "Once the helper has expressed sympathy, it is difficult to get clients back on the hook to own the very problem that they may have created."
5) Resisting taking on the helper role - a subtle one, in an attempt to be objective & avoid traps 1 - 4 helpers are emotionally aloof which can then be interpreted as an unwillingness to get involved.
6) Stereotyping, a priori expectations, "counter-transference," and projections - Guilty as charged.
I found this book very insightful and useful in my current situation (thanks Sonia) & would recommend it to any professional or informal 'helper'. I wish I read it a year ago.
If you can get past the 6 traps and develop a functional equal helping relationship between helper & 'helpee', the next pitfall is believing that because you have a little knowledge on a subject, in comparison to the local vacuum, this somehow makes you an 'expert' in many other areas outside your original capacity building skill set. Believe me this happens a lot - to be respected, revered for your skills, having people in awe of your knowledge can be intoxicating (I am told - I think I've made it pretty clear in previous blogs this is certainly not my experience both here nor the UK!). In my opinion it is also bloody irresponsible with potentially disastrous consequences - I am an emergency specialist in the UK but I am NOT a Cambodian Emergency Specialist.
A friend of a friend overheard a conversation between two 'experts';
1st expert "What is your title?"
2nd expert "Senior expert"
1st expert "But you should be more than a senior expert, 'senior, expert-expert' perhaps?"
My suggestion after hearing this, based on how the UKs education system dealt with the increase in A grades at GSCE level, was from now to refer to all people who consider themselves to be 'senior expert-experts' as 'Expert A*'.
I however will be sticking to 'VSO medical advisor'.
The NGO worker 'expert' complex is a difficult conundrum - to have knowledge and skills is of course essential requirement to capacity building but imparting this so that it will adapted and sustainable to a local context is certainly not as easy to achieve. In my experience a common defence mechanism for this challenge is to play your expert card with even more vigour.
There is an interesting book my sister lent me on helping by Edgar Schein (Helping: How to Offer, Give, and Receive Help) It discusses the power dynamic and 'one-upmanship' that is inherent in any helping relationship. It also describes 6 traps that helpers can fall in to;
1) Dispensing wisdom prematurely - thinking you know what help is needed or being asked for and leaping into advice giving when you really haven't a clue.
2) Meeting defensiveness with more pressure - "I don't think you understand my suggestion; let me explain again." I think it is fair to say we have all at some time said these words when in fact it was us that was missing the point.
3) Accepting the problem and over-reacting to the dependence - a common trap for 'experts' who can take over a clients problem without fully understanding the culture. Much of VSO pre-departure addresses this trap.
4) Giving support & reassurance - "Once the helper has expressed sympathy, it is difficult to get clients back on the hook to own the very problem that they may have created."
5) Resisting taking on the helper role - a subtle one, in an attempt to be objective & avoid traps 1 - 4 helpers are emotionally aloof which can then be interpreted as an unwillingness to get involved.
6) Stereotyping, a priori expectations, "counter-transference," and projections - Guilty as charged.
I found this book very insightful and useful in my current situation (thanks Sonia) & would recommend it to any professional or informal 'helper'. I wish I read it a year ago.
If you can get past the 6 traps and develop a functional equal helping relationship between helper & 'helpee', the next pitfall is believing that because you have a little knowledge on a subject, in comparison to the local vacuum, this somehow makes you an 'expert' in many other areas outside your original capacity building skill set. Believe me this happens a lot - to be respected, revered for your skills, having people in awe of your knowledge can be intoxicating (I am told - I think I've made it pretty clear in previous blogs this is certainly not my experience both here nor the UK!). In my opinion it is also bloody irresponsible with potentially disastrous consequences - I am an emergency specialist in the UK but I am NOT a Cambodian Emergency Specialist.
A friend of a friend overheard a conversation between two 'experts';
1st expert "What is your title?"
2nd expert "Senior expert"
1st expert "But you should be more than a senior expert, 'senior, expert-expert' perhaps?"
My suggestion after hearing this, based on how the UKs education system dealt with the increase in A grades at GSCE level, was from now to refer to all people who consider themselves to be 'senior expert-experts' as 'Expert A*'.
I however will be sticking to 'VSO medical advisor'.
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