Always Ask for an Explanation
29 Mar 2017
Working with a team of developers can often mean that you end up having conversations that include technical jargon and topics that you don’t always understand.
Often, the very fine detail of these technical elements isn’t particularly important, but what is important is the bigger meaning, the implications of all this tech speak.
I’ve been working here at OpenCRM for almost four years now and in that time I have learnt one very important lesson about working with people who are more technical than I am.
And that lesson is this:
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Asking for an explanation |
You might feel like the thick one in the room when you ask for a summary or explanation of the technical points, but really, you are doing several important things:
- Making sure you fully understand the topic at hand before making any decisions or jumping to any conclusions.
- Asking for a run down of all the implications of these technical points, ensuring everyone is considering the question at hand from a broader point of view.
- Standing up for everyone else at the table (or in the email thread) who doesn’t understand and is too scared to ask the question.
It’s such an important skill to learn…and it really is a skill. You have to be confident to stand up and say you don’t understand.
But trust me, the reward is huge.
Although I originally hail from northern California, as soon as I arrived in Yorkshire I knew it was the place for me! At OpenCRM, I started out in the Business Development team, and then moved into compliance and Q&A because I love telling people what to do…ok, that’s not the real reason, but it makes for a good bio one-liner. When I’m not in the office, you can usually find me tramping through the dales, crafting, gardening, or with my nose in a book.