Understanding two different ways of creating value
Within the Voys Value Model (based on the Baarda Model), both the Expert and Connector pathways can operate at very high levels and create significant value for the organisation.
Neither pathway is better than the other. They create value in different ways and are suited to different types of challenges.
At a high level, the distinction can be summarized as follows:
Expert = deep knowledge applied to concrete problems → finding the right answerConnector = vision applied to abstract, multi-stakeholder challenges → finding the right design
The shift from Expert to Connector is not about knowing more. It is about operating at a different level of abstraction: from solving problems to shaping the context in which problems are solved.
The main difference
An Expert naturally approaches challenges from the content, system, or solution itself.
Their primary focus is: What is the right answer?
They create value through expertise, depth, analysis, quality, and craftsmanship. They improve systems, products, processes, and content.
A Connector naturally approaches challenges from the context surrounding the problem.
Their primary focus is: What is the right design?
They create value through alignment, communication, stakeholder management, direction-setting, and connecting perspectives.
Where an Expert focuses on improving the solution itself, a Connector focuses on creating the conditions in which the solution can succeed.
Solution versus context
A useful distinction from the Baarda model is that Experts and Connectors often start at opposite ends of the same challenge.
An Expert starts from understanding the content of the problem and determining what a strong solution looks like.
They see patterns, understand systems, and use their expertise to determine what a strong solution looks like. Their recommendations are primarily driven by domain knowledge and substantive insight.
A Connector starts from the context.
They first consider stakeholders, interests, dependencies, tensions, and organisational realities. From there, they determine what direction or solution is most likely to work.
In other words:
Experts optimise the solution.Connectors optimise the environment in which the solution must work.
How value is created
Dimension | Expert | Connector |
Main question | What is the right answer? | What is the right design? |
Problem type | Content- and domain-centred complexity | Multi-stakeholder and context-centred complexity |
How value is created | Through expertise, depth and quality | Through alignment, collaboration and movement |
Primary focus | The content itself | The people, context, stakeholders and interests around the content |
Primary output | Better quality systems, content, processes or solutions | Aligned people, clear direction and shared understanding |
Key skill | Depth - mastering a domain | Breadth - bridging domains and perspectives |
Working mode | Analyse, refine, improve | Involve, align, facilitate |
Creates clarity through | Knowledge and analysis | Communication and alignment |
Typical question | What is the best solution? | How do we get everyone aligned? |
Natural strength | Diving deep into complexity | Connecting complexity across people and teams |
Makes explicit | Knowledge, expertise and quality considerations | Expectations, interests and dependencies |
Sees quickly | Risks, details and quality gaps | Tensions, dependencies and alignment gaps |
Success looks like | A stronger technical or substantive outcome | A group that moves forward together |
How to recognise the work
Expert work often sounds like:
- I want to improve the quality of this.
- This solution isn't good enough yet.
- Let me analyse this first.
- We need a better technical or substantive solution.
- I want to deepen this topic.
Connector work often sounds like:
- Who still needs to be involved?
- I think teams are misaligned here.
- How do we move this forward together?
- There are too many different expectations.
- I want to create clarity between people or teams.
In summary
Pathways describe how value is primarily created, not which activities someone performs.
The same role may contain elements of multiple pathways. The assessment question is therefore not "What activities does this person perform?" but "Where does their primary value come from?"
Experts and Connectors both create significant value, but in different ways.
The Expert primarily improves the quality of the answer.
The Connector primarily improves the quality of the collaboration, alignment, and decision-making around that answer.
Both pathways are essential. The strongest outcomes often emerge when Experts and Connectors work together: one strengthening the solution, the other ensuring it works within the broader organisational context.
The distinction is not about what someone does, but about how they primarily create value when doing it.