Why Experience Trumps Hours: Maryannjamieson on Valuing Expertise

In a recent LinkedIn post, Maryannjamieson challenges conventional business practices around pricing and valuing professional expertise. The business advisor argues that many organizations fail to correctly price experience, instead focusing on superficial metrics like hours logged, meetings attended, and perceived availability.

Maryannjamieson contends that the true value of an experienced professional lies not in the time spent, but in the tangible outcomes and critical interventions they enable. She highlights specific examples of this impact:

“The risk spotted before it became a crisis → The question that unblocked three weeks of being stuck → The call that saved the budget nobody knew was bleeding → The “we don’t need to do this” that nobody else was willing to say”

Rethinking Value Metrics

According to Maryannjamieson, the skills that lead to these significant contributions are not acquired through short-term presence or basic training. Instead, they are the result of years of practical application, learning from mistakes, and developing keen judgment.

“That judgment didn’t come from a course,” Maryannjamieson writes. “It came from years of being wrong, recovering, and learning what to look for next time.” This perspective suggests that true expertise is cultivated over time and cannot be easily replicated or quantified by simple time-based metrics.

The Limitations of Hourly Billing

Maryannjamieson pushes back against the notion that professionals should justify their pricing solely based on hours worked. She argues that this approach fundamentally undervalues the deep experience and foresight that seasoned professionals bring to the table.

“You can’t clock that. You can’t replicate it with someone cheaper and more available,” Maryannjamieson asserts. “And if you undervalue it, watch it walk out the door.” This warning underscores the risk of losing valuable talent and institutional knowledge when experience is not adequately recognized and compensated.

Identifying and Pricing True Worth

The core of Maryannjamieson’s message is a call for businesses to identify and articulate the specific, high-impact contributions that experienced individuals make. She suggests that the focus should shift from logging time to recognizing the qualitative impact of expertise.

“You have to name what gets sharper the moment you walk into the room,” Maryannjamieson advises. She concludes that this is the work that truly drives outcomes and earns the respect and recognition of colleagues and clients, defining what experience is genuinely worth.

Maryannjamieson’s insights offer a valuable framework for both professionals seeking fair compensation and organizations aiming to better leverage their most experienced talent.