SMEs must deliver value to their customers, colleagues, and partners. They must constantly and convincingly provide a service that other people cannot easily replicate. Nothing is more important. When an SME says a new technology will be launched, it is. When an SME predicts that cost and quality metrics will be realized, they are. And, when an SME says it will rain, it rains. One of the surest ways to lose credibility is by failing to deliver on expectations. Whether a commitment is small or large, simple or complicated, SMEs must find a way to deliver the goods and do so repeatedly.

Even though perfection is unattainable, great SMEs pursue it. Kobe Bryant did not make every game-winning shot he attempted in the NBA. And Abby Wambach did not score with every header she attempted in soccer. But during their remarkable careers, Bryant and Wambach were sought as experts because they delivered points in big ways and in clutch situations. When the game was on the line and the stakes were high, fans, players, and coaches all knew their best chance of winning was by putting the ball under the control of their experts. If anyone could deliver points, Bryant and Wambach could.

This fits a theory in team sports that the ball is given to the experts who others believe will deliver points. You only need to watch a pickup game of basketball or soccer at a city park to see this dynamic in action. When newcomers join a team, they are granted a short test period to prove themselves. If a new player immediately performs well, they are given the ball again. If they miss their shots or turn the ball over, their teammates will then stop passing the ball to them and their opportunities will dry up.

This dynamic is true for almost all SMEs in all industries. If you deliver points for your team, then you will be given additional opportunities to score. Your reward for delivering on a commitment is the opportunity to make and keep additional commitments. The more an SME delivers for their company, the more they will be given opportunities to deliver again. If they fail to deliver, the opportunities will disappear, and the next opportunity will be passed to another SME.

When things go wrong, SMEs don’t make excuses. They don’t point fingers at colleagues who miss deadlines or suppliers who failed to ship products. No one cares if the grass was wet when Wambach tried to score in soccer or if an opponent’s hand was in Bryant’s face when he attempted a game-winning three-pointer. Great SMEs don’t point to reasons for missed delivery. They anticipate difficulties instead. Then they isolate those difficulties and prepare contingencies. They find a way to deliver.

Great SMEs execute on a plan and find a way to do so repeatedly, reliably, and consistently.