No one enjoy feeling LOST. But when you first join any company, you can’t help feeling LOST. Because you know nothing in almost everything. The culture, the system, the dos and don’ts. When you don’t know anything, you feel stupid coz you don’t know. And it doesn’t help if you do not have helpful colleagues around.
Example 1: You are required to create a purchase order. Your fellow colleague had gave you a 10 mins crash course on how to create purchase order using the company’s IT system. It takes about say 27 steps to do it properly (it’s just an example, and I am serious, it took mine 32 steps to develop that document). After that ‘tuition’ session, you are on your own. While you are following the steps, an error message pops up.
YOU: “Sorry, may I ask what do you do when you see the error message?”
YOUR COLLEAGUE: “when your computer hangs, you reboot the system right. So why don’t you do the same. It’s common sense.”
So now you are deemed to have NO common sense.
Example 2: You need to print something out, and you realised you have to install the printer onto your computer in order to start printing documents. You began asking around for assistance to guide you.
YOU: “Sorry guys, can anyone show me how to add the printers to your computer please?”
YOUR COLLEAGUE: “You should know. Click on the ‘add printer’ option. It is on everyone’s desktop. You should have seen it.”
So now you are deemed as blind.
The examples can go on and on and on, and I think you get the point.
And many human beings are judgemental. If you appear to be slow or clumsy, they might label you as stupid or incompetent. Which is why a newbie must learn things as fast as they can.
And many human beings are forgetful. They forgotten the pain they had taken when they were once a newbie. They forgotten people takes time to learn and adapt. Which is why a newbie must learn as fast as they can.
And many human beings expect everyone to be like them. They expect everyone to learn fast like a prodigy, just as how they TRHOUGHT they have done it. Which is why a newbie must learn as fast as they can.
The solution, learn as fast as you can.
The learning curve are the same for every novice, but the time spend being from novice to mastery is determined by how fast you can learn. If you wish to be successful, you need to learn all the 101 first. Once you have cleared that hurdle, you will feel independent, you will have the confidence to face your work. You will be ready to take on the world. And that is where you have the conditions for success to happen.
However, when you reach the mastery level, stay humble and remember how the pain you went through when you were a novice. Be nice. And that will make you a better colleague, a better leader.
For those who have met a nice colleague and a good teacher, do not take them for granted. They will be the ones who have made your learning curve less painful.
Keep learning to grow. Ignorance does not equates to stupidity. We just need to learn to live first. Once we pass that stage, we will live to learn.
Strongerhead ways to survive as a trainee or newbie or novice in your company
