You know the saying… The only stupid question is the one not asked.
A lot of my clients think they are stupid when it comes to computers because they feel the questions they ask about their computer or how to properly use it are stupid. The thing is no one is born with knowledge, knowledge is learned through experience.
Everyone has to start somewhere, and their lives will take a different path than another. Some are mechanically inclined, some are artistic, and some are scholars. Based on the path your life takes, you may be a mechanic, a content creator, work in the field of medicine, or something else entirely different. Everyone has their niche.
So where am I going with this? No one knows everything and everybody has their strengths and weaknesses in the knowledge they have. I don’t expect a construction worker to know everything about being a software engineer and vice versa. You only need to know what you need to know to deal with whatever you need to get done. …And if you don’t there are a couple of options;
- Have someone else do it – if there is someone else to do it, then this is the easiest option. However, you don’t lean anything from it and become dependant on someone else to do it.
- Find out how to do it yourself – do some research, ask questions, experiment and learn from it. The best thing is once you learn it, it is another tool in your toolkit of abilities.
I don’t expect you to always take option two, some things are just outside of one’s scope. The intelligent person might try option two then decide on option one or already know to take option one in the first place. This is not failure, this is knowing when you have better use of your time and energy (the cost of you doing it vs the cost of paying someone else to do it).
Actually, there is a third option; Pay for someone else to do it AND learn from them doing it. That is the smart thing to do. After you have done that and if you find that it is still too much for you, then at least you know why option one is the right choice the next time.
I often use the car analogy when explaining computer concepts to my clients and friends as most people can relate with a car. For example; You may know how to drive a car, however, that does not make you a mechanic. Same for computers, you might have extensive knowledge of using an office program, however, that does not mean you are a technician.
So DON’T PUT YOURSELF DOWN when you don’t know something about computers. Nobody knows everything, however, everybody has extensive knowledge in something.
Here is a good story and example of what I am talking about:
There is this lady I know that can run circles around me when it comes to running the office she works at. I mean, so much that if she left, that place would likely fail hard. Her knowledge of the filing system and accounting makes my head spin. However, she thinks that she is dumb at computers. I tell you she is NOT a dumb person, she just has limited knowledge of the more technical aspects of the computer system. Again, she is not a technician, she is an office administrator. When I am called in to resolve an issue, I need her there. Because, I don’t have a clue how to navigate the special software she uses to run that office.
When I get there, I have her go through the motions of what she was doing that lead to the problem she was having. I observe, and using my technical knowledge, I figure out what is causing the issue. Then I guide her with how to resolve the problem or how to get around the problem so she can continue here work. I can’t fix it without her as I have no idea how to get to the problem without her. When it comes to that office computer system, with her and my knowledge combined, there is not much we both can’t resolve together regarding that system. The bonus for her is that because she had taken an active part in the resolution, she now knows what to do for the next time if it happens again.
In conclusion; Not you nor any other knows everything and only working with each other, that anything can be resolved. Never sell yourself short! – You will always have some knowledge and/or experience to contribute.