Watch out for that...

As a child I remember walking toward the kitchen from my aunt's living room and accidentally tripping over an object on the floor. My cousin, who observed the incident said, "watch out for that," right after I ungracefully fell to my knees. Yeah, thanks.

As an adult I feel like I still experience this scenario. For example, when I'm trying to accomplish something at work and a more experienced staff person with information that would make the task easier watches as I fumble, then offers the "oh yeah, that doesn't work" comment when I tell them about it. Again, thanks.

I realize this happens (mostly) unintentionally. But sometimes I feel a sense of deliberateness behind it. Like the thought is "the newbie" will only learn how to accomplish the task by being humiliated in front of her peers (in my case). Well, that certainly is true, but is it a good thing?

It's not obvious to me why information and experience isn't shared among colleagues in the same workplace the way we share with our professional colleagues outside the office. I attend conferences and webinars where people present their best practices, workflows and scripts for handling tasks. A lot of great tips and suggestions are also generated via list servs.

The best part about this sharing is that it doesn't just prevent people from feeling dumb (e.g. no one at our library could ever write a script like that), it encourages people to try something new.

At my new job I'm fortunate enough to have a co-worker who is very knowledgeable about the products I support and is willing to spend time answering my questions. It's wonderful, and I'm grateful to her. It's like I don't feel like I have spend time looking at the ground for some object I might trip over. I can focus my attention on the eight thousand other issues that surround being "the newbie." And she can take comfort from knowing that sharing her knowledge will get me up to speed more quickly (and take some of the burden of work from her shoulders).

So the next time you see someone who is struggling (or about to do something the wrong way), please remember that helping them will benefit you, not just professionally but personally as well. It really is the right thing to do.

The Bill Gates clip and confidence

A few weeks ago a friend sent me a link to this You Tube clip. I find it enjoyable to watch (yes, I've watched it a lot) because it's funny, and I think it's great that Bill Gates was willing to participate in making a video like this. It's amazing to think of all that he has accomplished in his life so far.

I wonder if Bill Gates has ever had a confidence crisis? Has he ever struggled to understand a concept? Does he ever think, "I really messed up on that one?"

These days I am endeavoring to accept myself as I am. I recently started a new job and have been learning a lot of new concepts. I have been fortunate that I've had time to study the software I work with and observe a customer training.

Unfortunately, I don't learn well by reading and observing. I learn through hands-on experience, which is usually a painful process because it involves embarrassing myself in front of others.

In the past I would spend a lot of time berating myself for not being a better learner. I'd call myself stupid and lazy and believe it. Now I'm learning to take my failures in stride focus on developing tools that will help me learn through doing. I remind myself that for every home run I hit, I'll have struck out a lot more.

I don't think I'll ever believe I have a brilliant mind but I'm grateful for the mind I have. Besides, a brilliant mind won't get me anywhere if I am not willing to work hard. If I'm lucky, I'll get a lot of batting practice over the course of my lifetime and maybe I'll hit the ball out of the park a few times.

Thank you

I just want to thank Peggy, Terry and Ian for their comments about on my post about blogging. I am working hard now on getting over my confidence issues and focus on what I can offer to the world by blogging. Your support means a lot to me!

I checked out Peggy's Boldness Blog and have been reading it a bit while I've been on the road. It's quite good and I think it's what I need right now-- boldness!

Terry's New Cybrary blog is always very interesting--it's wonderful to be able to read the well-crafted and thoughtful comments of a library director.

And Ian, I really wish you'd get back into the blog world. The web needs more Packer blogs. You just can't beat a good Brett Favre story.

Coming back to blogging

It's been a long two months. I quit blogging because I took a long family vacation and started a new job during December and January.

I enjoy blogging but have a couple of reservations about continuing it. First, I am weighted down by my deep fear of writing poorly crafted posts that will make me look foolish. That is a huge disincentive to posting. Another is not having the time to devote to writing. So I'm making one more attempt and we'll see how it goes.

I'm grateful to the bloggers out there who provide me with thoughtful and entertaining reading material. Thanks!