If companies do not change and improve, they will eventually be replaced. And if experts do not change and improve, they too will eventually be replaced.

As discussed in the previous chapter, one of the most profound ways a company can improve its organizational efficiency is through the division of labor. Division of labor is the assignment of different parts of a process to different people in order to improve overall efficiency. All experts are influenced by, and should consider the implications of, the division of labor on their career and personal performance.

How can your expertise be subdivided, reorganized, redistributed, or outsourced? What are the low-value-added tasks that someone of lesser skill could perform? Tasks that can be done by others should be done by others. Tasks that need to be done by the expert should be done by the expert. Tasks that cannot be done at all should be left in the hands of the experts to figure out. SMEs must always stay ahead of the constantly changing division of labor.