Expertise is by definition prophetic. It is knowing, “This is where we are, and that is where we will go.”

References to prophecy may conjure religious imagery. Indeed, the most famous prophets in history are religious figures, including Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, Abraham, Muhammad, Moses, and Noah. But prophecy is not only a religious phenomenon. Oracles and prophets are a recurring theme in legends, fairy tales, books, and movies throughout the world. Whether it is Neo seeking to see the future through the Oracle in The Matrix, or Dorothy seeking to control the future by following the yellow brick road to the Wizard of Oz, the prophet predicts and controls the future. Legends teach that only fools ignore the decrees of the prophets.

The phenomenon of prophecy extends to secularists. They also predict the future, as they must. Nutritionists prophesy health, mechanical engineers prophesy safety, and climate scientists prophesy temperature, to list just a few. They are all purveyors of predictions, often personalized once. Besides telling the future for the masses, they prophesy the future for individuals.

In the role of prophet, the SME has a daunting responsibility. Most of us can’t predict our own future, much less the future of others. But that is exactly what the world expects of the expert: specific, accurate, reliable, repeatable prophecy. If SMEs cannot see and influence the future, then they are of little use to the people they serve. When a doctor prescribes a medication, or a general contractor recommends a type of construction, or a CEO hires a team of professionals, they are all predicting the future. They may not fully control that future, but they are taking actions with the specific intention of obtaining a desired condition in the future. Yes, SMEs must be prophets.