For those of you who read this column with any degree of regularity, you recognize I’m no technology genius. So, it’s slightly amusing to me when someone else puts me in that category.
I have a good friend who calls me for advice occasionally on how to access something on the internet. This makes me feel smart even though I know how challenged I am relative to the experts on accessing data, figuring out where to go on web sites for the information you seek or establishing an electronic payment system to my account that actually functions.
Those examples above can frustrate me, no doubt about it. I can remember one time, for example, trying to get my banking information inputted to some app so one of my clients could pay me, and it took several hours and multiple new curse words to accomplish. I did it eventually, so there is something to that, but it doesn’t mean I know how to duplicate the process for something (or someone) else.
The flattering part about my friend calling me for help is that he believes I can duplicate it. In fact, he has a degree of faith in me that I don’t have in myself. I feel good when he calls, and I work hard to help him, and I think I do most of the time.
What his calls do for me is put me in a position of expertise I don’t have. It’s odd. You step back for a minute to consider his questions, wondering if you actually know something. When you realize you don’t, but you are capable of somewhat faking your way through the foggy information haze, you roll with it.
That means wading into the deep surf. I’ve got to break through the tension of the surface water to find the layers beneath and figure out how to share what I DO know with someone else.
And, one of the points of this, is all of us know something. If we know something, we can share it. Sharing knowledge with someone else also helps us learn.
These calls become teaching moments for me. I’m not talking about teaching my buddy. I’m talking about teaching myself. Running through the numbers with him, I find myself “getting” the online confusion he has and breaking down where I messed up. From there, I can give him sound advice.
Messing up is tremendously important. Never forget that. As I’ve gotten to the latter stages of my life, it comes up over and over in my mind how I’ve picked things up and really absorbed them into my brain’s operating system when I was lost and then found the solution.
Those are frustrating but rewarding situations. We learn in many ways. My friend trusts my instincts and knowledge and perhaps my ability to explain things which make sense to others. Ultimately, he learns differently that I do, but he trusts my system to help him.
Most of the time I can help my buddy when he calls. I’m a technology neanderthal, but he makes me feel like I’m a genius.
To give you a sense of perspective, he has yet to memorize the pin number for his bank account. Now that I’ve got down pat. And I can explain how to use a pin pad.
I have a good friend who calls me for advice occasionally on how to access something on the internet. This makes me feel smart even though I know how challenged I am relative to the experts on accessing data, figuring out where to go on web sites for the information you seek or establishing an electronic payment system to my account that actually functions.
Those examples above can frustrate me, no doubt about it. I can remember one time, for example, trying to get my banking information inputted to some app so one of my clients could pay me, and it took several hours and multiple new curse words to accomplish. I did it eventually, so there is something to that, but it doesn’t mean I know how to duplicate the process for something (or someone) else.
The flattering part about my friend calling me for help is that he believes I can duplicate it. In fact, he has a degree of faith in me that I don’t have in myself. I feel good when he calls, and I work hard to help him, and I think I do most of the time.
What his calls do for me is put me in a position of expertise I don’t have. It’s odd. You step back for a minute to consider his questions, wondering if you actually know something. When you realize you don’t, but you are capable of somewhat faking your way through the foggy information haze, you roll with it.
That means wading into the deep surf. I’ve got to break through the tension of the surface water to find the layers beneath and figure out how to share what I DO know with someone else.
And, one of the points of this, is all of us know something. If we know something, we can share it. Sharing knowledge with someone else also helps us learn.
These calls become teaching moments for me. I’m not talking about teaching my buddy. I’m talking about teaching myself. Running through the numbers with him, I find myself “getting” the online confusion he has and breaking down where I messed up. From there, I can give him sound advice.
Messing up is tremendously important. Never forget that. As I’ve gotten to the latter stages of my life, it comes up over and over in my mind how I’ve picked things up and really absorbed them into my brain’s operating system when I was lost and then found the solution.
Those are frustrating but rewarding situations. We learn in many ways. My friend trusts my instincts and knowledge and perhaps my ability to explain things which make sense to others. Ultimately, he learns differently that I do, but he trusts my system to help him.
Most of the time I can help my buddy when he calls. I’m a technology neanderthal, but he makes me feel like I’m a genius.
To give you a sense of perspective, he has yet to memorize the pin number for his bank account. Now that I’ve got down pat. And I can explain how to use a pin pad.
