Comment by ineedasername | Hacker News Reader

Comment by ineedasername | Hacker News Reader

I know the context of the PDF is a little different, but towards making the sentiment more broadly applicable, I'd suggest that an ability to own up to a mistake of any sort is a very useful professional "skill". Lacking that skill, it can be much more difficult to correct a problem before it becomes an issue (You hesitate, because a change implies the pre-change situation was "wrong") Once there's an issue, it also makes the cleanup much harder, more awkward, etc.

If you practice being comfortable saying something like, "I'm sorry, I overlooked X. I'm fixing it now, and will do my best to make sure it doesn't happen again" then your professional and personal life may be just a tad smoother. All of this implies, and requires, a mindset that is self-aware enough to evaluate itself. That can be the difficult part, that requires regular practice and resistance of instincts to go on the defensive and justify something, even if it was "right" at the time, if circumstances now show otherwise.

For me the key work skill is a willingness to answer "I don't know".

People that can't say that when they don't know the answer are inevitably pompous time-wasters.

Similarly "I need help" and "How can I help?" are powerful things.

I still have trouble with "I need help". I can work out what I need to do, but I have trouble doling out work in a way which means that it gets done to the specification I have got in my head, so I am not sure how to accept the offers of help.

I think I need help writing specifications for my fellow developers.

That would be the trick in delegation. Giving others the authority to get things done.

I don't know the specifics of what your dealing with but it might be defining a common starting place like an API contract with some architectural/non-functional requirements on the implementation or more recurring things like coding style guides or other documentation.

I learned that habit from the Professor (UK style) I used to work for whose speciality was non-linear control systems and was clearly rather bright.

He was very quick to say "I don't understand" or "could you explain that in simpler terms" - I particularly remember him being utterly delighted by the Unix "fork" system call.

I am not sure. I used to say "sorry" and "I don't know". People assumed I make more mistakes and know less then collegues who don't speek that way.

I am training myself not to say those things (not there yet, but getting better).

I'm sorry that you are in a situation where your colleagues project their arrogance and insecurities onto you. I have also experienced this myself, and it was disappointing and confusing to me. I think that a person who is willing to own up to their shortcomings is the stronger person, and more likely to turn their weaknesses into strengths as they confront and expose them instead of trying to hide them. In the end, increasing excellence in my work has won my colleagues over, and a more humble attitude has helped me maintain good relationships that are often strained by my naturally blunt nature. Rather than allowing them to turn you into a worse version of yourself, I'd suggest you either persevere despite the unfair stigma, or work somewhere else that has a more mature work environment.

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