LukeSnedden.com

I have been wondering how I get you, the reader to participate in my musings by commenting on my blog posts. I realise that to some of you reading a blog is a completely new experience. Perhaps writing comments is a step to far at the moment?

I went to Wellington in the weekend to see a Friend of mine who has just moved there. He said to me that he will comment but probably under a pseudonym, this is fine anything that gets the conversation going the better!

Then I thought that perhaps there is a fear of speaking out, more importantly a fear of being wrong! This fear of being wrong is rife everywhere you look today. If you are wrong about that company you lent money to, you may lose your job. If you are wrong about the flirty looks you are getting from your co-worker, you may get fired for sexual harassment. If you were wrong about house prices and you find that the 100% finance on your mortgage is to tough to service, so tough that you face losing you house by the bank foreclosing.

The consequences are to much! I’m going to hide, i’m not do anything!

These examples are real and perhaps they are gambles that should have not been taken because the signs were not read properly. What if that company succeeded, or the co-worker was really into you, or your house bucked the trend and you were able to service that mortgage, you would be successful.

If we look over time, even with failure people can still be successful. Look at Apple and Steve Jobs, they failed big time with the Apple III, but boy did they hit the jackpot with the Ipod. Richard Hooker spent 17 years writing a humorous war story which was rejected by 21 publishers before William Morrow bought it. This book was named MASH!, thats right MASH! The TV show.

These successful people were able to overcome being wrong (in the eyes of the people they were seeking recognition from) and push through to become successful.

One lesson that I have learnt over my short lifetime, is that don’t worry about being wrong. If you are new to a job, play the “I’m new, I didn’t know” card.

WHAT? You will piss people off! I hear you scream, but remember this: “But, bro I’m new”.

I have found that people are willing to help you as long as you are polite and ask nicely. This attitude is also great for your manager.

Why is it great for your manager? Every job I have had, the employer has promised me a wealth of training and coaching. The first day is usually the only day where I have received training, usually consisting of where the toilets are, who you will be working with and what you log-in and password is.

The training stops after this, not because they didn’t intend to train you, but because they don’t have time. Using your initiative and working on things that you don’t have any idea how to do can be the best training you will ever receive.

When you are wrong, fix it yourself, remember what you did wrong and don’t make that mistake again. Your boss will love the fact that you don’t take up their time with training, and should let the majority of your failure slide, the most important point is make a mistake once, never repeat it.

Are you still afraid of being wrong when commenting on Confusion Management, don’t be afraid, be wrong, you never know you might be right! 

There are over 6 billion people in the world, the odds are that someone out there will not agree with you. However the challenge is then extended to them to comment from their point of view and prove you wrong.

So come on readers surely there are some posts that I have written that you don’t agree with, or you are able to expand on my views, don’t be afraid you can be wrong, but more likely you will be right -

But the most important thing to remember is that you are joining in!

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