I first heard the expression All Hat and No Cattle while at HP from my boss’s boss’s boss’s boss. (or maybe their boss). As I’ve been thinking about training and such this expression has been coming back into mind. I think it sums up what a lot of people that come out of training courses and suddenly taught themselves as ‘experts’.

The problem is though, that some of use know the difference between a bull, steer and sidewinder. And with that knowledge we can see right through costume, regardless of how trick the hat is. It is far better to be honest when talking to people about your recent acquisition of a new hat and you know how to wear it, but that is about the limit of your skill-set.

(And no, I do not have cattle, nor have I participated in the breeding of them. I can however spot problems with horse’s gaits and lameness better than most it seems. I just couldn’t come up with a horse example)