The curse of knowledge

Why experience can sometimes get in the way of winning work

For any technical expert, experience is one of your greatest assets. It allows you to recognise patterns quickly, diagnose issues with confidence, and provide direction when clients need it most. Over time, you build a depth of knowledge that enables you to move faster and operate with a high degree of certainty.

However, that same experience can sometimes work against you. I like to refer to this as the ‘curse of knowledge’. When you have seen similar situations many times before, it becomes natural to assume you understand what is going on. You recognise the signals, anticipate the challenges, and move quickly towards a solution. From a technical perspective, this is efficient. From a commercial perspective, it can be limiting.

The risk is not that you are wrong, but that you are only partially right. No two situations are ever identical, even if they appear similar on the surface. A lawyer may recognise the legal structure of a dispute, but the commercial motivations behind it may be very different. An accountant may understand the financial issue, but not the internal pressures shaping decision-making. An environmental consultant or engineer may identify the technical constraint, but not fully appreciate the wider project, stakeholder or regulatory context.

When we rely too heavily on what we already know, we can stop exploring and move to ‘solution mode’ to soon.

This often shows up most clearly in conversations. A client begins to describe a situation, we recognise the pattern, and we move quickly into advising. On the surface, this can feel helpful and efficient. However, from the client’s perspective, something is missing. They have not yet had the space to fully explain, they do not feel completely heard and understood, and as a result, confidence does not build in the way we might expect.

The most effective professionals are aware of this dynamic. They recognise the instinct to jump to solutions, but they manage it. Rather than moving too quickly, they take a moment to pause, ask one or two more question, and explore a little deeper, sometimes with a simple “tell me more” or “explain how this came about”. Not because they lack expertise, but because they understand that complete context matters.

There is a simple but powerful shift that can be made here. Instead of focusing on how quickly a problem can be solved, the focus shifts to how well the situation has been understood. This change in emphasis often leads to a more complete picture of the client’s world, and a more relevant and valuable response.

When you consciously ‘park’ your knowledge, even briefly, two things tend to happen. You gain a deeper understanding of the situation in front of you, and the client feels validated. Both of these reduce perceived risk from the client’s perspective and strengthen the relationship.

Experience will always be a critical part of professional credibility. However, it is at its most powerful when combined with curiosity (something I’ll explore in my next blog post). Because in client conversations, it is not just what you know that matters, it is how well you understand what matters to your client.