Knowledge is a power

Knowledge is a power, understanding gained through learning or experience. And the experience is the best teacher. If that is true, why many of the project management and leadership community are so afraid to exploit what other co-workers and companies already achieved?

Of course, there are situations when somebody trying to find a solution to a problem or determine a workflow of some process in company and suddenly a fresh, revolutionary perspective appears that will change everything. But in most of the cases the final, refined solution is the result of long-term research, endless corrections, a large amount of resources, time and commitment.

From your experience, how often your team has all the necessary competencies to carry out all the activities within a specified time and complete the project successfully?

You must admit that lack of knowledge or resources is not a rare case. What are the two solutions for that? One is to provide additional training for team members and second is to use the help of an expert outside the team (from or outside the organization). Both options have their pros and cons.

If the company's or project's strategy assumes the development of the team (regardless of time) as an investment in the future, then training is highly recommended. On the other hand, if the priorities are time and quality, then it is worth to ask for help someone who has both the knowledge and the required experience to optimize the work and help you solve the problem faster and better.

What in your opinion will pay off better?