Twenty-one years

I started out in technical support back in 1997 and I am here today because of the time that others took to help me along the way. Over the past year, I have been working hard to step up my efforts to hopefully do the same for others. Thanks to a program at work I really got to dive into what it means to coach someone in the workplace. Sometimes for technical people, it’s easier to just do it for someone when they ask for help. Yet, while it may be easier and faster it provides no benefit to the other person.

So that being said, this might be a rambling mess, but, I’ll do my best.

So how do you start? You listen. One thing I think that many of us are guilty of sometimes in conversation is that we are just waiting for the other person to stop talking so we can. It is an amazing thing that when you’re describing your problem to someone, seeking their help, that it’s obvious there really paying attention.

Next? Don’t do it for them, don’t give them the full answer. They are not going to learn anything if you give them the full answer. Instead, trust in that you’re working with clever, intelligent people who just need a pointer.

Going back to someone listening. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve come up with the solution myself just having someone listen to me. Three quarters through my rambling I often suddenly stop and go, “Wait a minute, I think I figured it out.” I thank them for their time and they often wonder what it is they did. Verbalizing your problem is an amazing way to find a solution.

That’s all for now. More rambling later.