You are not alone. EVERYBODY IS MAKING IT UP. Everybody is
winging it ALL THE TIME.
When you’re young, you think that all adults are right
because they’re adults. When you’re
young you think that all police officers must be good people because they’re
police officers. When you’re young you think that all teachers know everything
because they’re teachers.
I remember the day when I realised I knew more about
something than a teacher. It was eye-opening, wonderful and a little
disconcerting. I wasn’t that old - I
went home and talked to my parents about it, but didn’t really think any further
about it.
I only remembered it years later as I gradually realised
that adults can be as fallible and stupid as children, they’ve just been doing
it longer and have more experience.
Now I’m settled into a career, I think about it all the
time. Every time I have a meeting or
people seek my advice on something, or ask my opinion; part of me wonders what
the hell they think I know about it
WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME?!
And I don’t exactly make up the answer. I’m well qualified,
experienced, successful- but I still go: URK! Erm... What
about....blahdyblahblah? And I try to wrap it up in a nice succinct sentence
that sounds considered, erudite and convincing.
But really? We’re all
winging it all the time.
I know my stuff, no doubt about it, but no-one really KNOWS
the answer to half the questions they get asked – certainly not in my
workplace. You suggest a strategy, usually one that’s worked before in a
similar situation, then hope for the best.
So my advice? Don’t
worry about being unsure. Everyone is. Uncertainty is ubiquitous and useful.
Certainty can be much more damaging.
We make a good pretence at being
self-assured and in control.
But most of us are making it up as we go along, and hoping
no-one will notice. And nine times out
of ten it does the job and everyone says “Oh, he’s so knowledgeable! He’s the
man to ask.”
Imagine if we were all honest about it too? What a world that would be...
No comments:
Post a Comment