What To Do When You Don’t Know
“You don’t know what you don’t know.”
– W. Edwards Deming, American Business Theorist, Composer, Economist, Industrial Engineer and Much More!
Did you know that the quote above was an actual quote? I was today years old when I learned that!!
Back to the business at hand:
It seems like most my clients recently have fallen into the category of just not knowing what they needed to know. Of course, I come across this all the time with what I do – it’s why I get hired! However, often my clients will know that there’s something available, and they may even know what it is, but they just need some training on how to use it.
For many of my current clients, they weren’t even aware that their solutions existed! So, how did they figure it out?
1. Be open to change
When we don’t know what’s out there that could help us, sometimes the fear of change closes our eyes and our minds to those options. I always offer my clients several solutions so they can choose what fits them best, but they have to be open to change no matter what.
2. Keep your eyes open and ask questions
As I was training a client on Outlook this morning, she asked me some insightful questions about other tools showing on my screen. By diving into a conversation about these tools, she discovered solutions to problems we hadn’t even discussed!
3. Ask for help
Back to our quote: “You don’t know what you don’t know” – If you don’t know, and you may not even be sure what to ask, get some help. Reach out to someone you know who is good at what you might not be. Hire an expert if you need to. Take an AI product for a “spin” to see if maybe it can help (see the article below). Don’t sit by yourself and fret – someone can help.
4. Trial and Error is good
Many people look at trial and error as not knowing what you’re doing. However, I see it as learning what does and doesn’t work for you. During the classes I teach, I am forever saying “click all the buttons, try all the things” because without that trial and error, how can you find your best fit?? It’s just like trying on 30 pieces of clothing to find the 3 that are your favorites. That’s me every time I shop! I’ll even try on things that I’m not sure will be the right fit, and half the time, I love them! That goes back to #1 – being open to change.
Do you have a technology or productivity frustration that’s nagging at you, but you have no idea what solutions are available? Schedule a no-charge Tech Stress Breakthrough call to pick my brain!
