The Expertise Trap
The Expertise Trap is the term coined by Shayne Fitz-Coy in 2025 for the way a company’s strongest operators design systems that only someone with their experience can run.
The Expertise Trap in practice
An emergency call center’s protocol came from its strongest handler and demanded judgment a new hire did not have. The floor’s Post-it note workaround performed better because anyone could follow it.
Terms Related to The Expertise Trap
Shadow Systems · The Capacity Paradox · A Player Disease · All of the glossary