![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Friday was a good day, in the final analysis.
I worked most of the day on finishing a mock up of some data files for the next revision of our software. My co-worker, Olaf, had already mocked up these files for Dave to test with, but Dayle (my boss) asked me to also construct the files. The goals were a) to have someone else interpret the instructions, and b) to further my education.
This was a frustrating project, because the intention was for me to wing it alone, with little input from anybody else. However, I kept bumping up against my general ignorance about our industry. I asked Olaf some questions Thursday afternoon, but Dayle indicated that Olaf was giving me too much, so we broke that off and I continued on my own. I trust that Dayle has a good idea of where I am; if he thinks I know this stuff, then maybe I do.
However, I couldn't make any headway. When Dayle picked me up at the train station Friday morning I said, "I know you think I know this stuff, but it's not coming together for me. I need to ask Olaf some more questions." He agreed, noting that this was supposed to further my education, so this was good.
Olaf and I did talk some more and I tried to confine my questions to the background information that they all take for granted. Then I finished the mock up and sent the files to Olaf and Dayle. The three of us met to discuss my results; as I expected, I failed to get the right results. What was surprising was that my assumptions helped Olaf realize that some of his assumptions were also incorrect, so my effort was useful in that manner.
I carefully stepped through my process, noting my interpretations and assumptions along the way. Dayle and Olaf would stop and explain things to me that I misunderstood or just didn't know. At the end of the meeting, Dayle asked Olaf and I to try again. The goal is for our files to match. I'm supposed to have my mock up done by this afternoon.
This process could have been absolutely horrible in an office with a different boss, but with Dayle there are no problems. I'm able to set aside any defensiveness. I don't feel the need to minimize my ignorance. There's no "emotional undertow", as I like to describe it.
Friday was also payday ($5,700 in the bank after three months) and Bagel Day, more reasons why it was a good day. :-)
Russell and I had dinner at the Mt. Vernon Stable. We had intended to hit the new sushi restaurant in the Inner Harbor, but the weather was so wet and blustery that we aborted that plan. Russell was happy to see me so bouncy; I was still tripping over my day (despite the transit weirdness in the morning and the evening).
I worked most of the day on finishing a mock up of some data files for the next revision of our software. My co-worker, Olaf, had already mocked up these files for Dave to test with, but Dayle (my boss) asked me to also construct the files. The goals were a) to have someone else interpret the instructions, and b) to further my education.
This was a frustrating project, because the intention was for me to wing it alone, with little input from anybody else. However, I kept bumping up against my general ignorance about our industry. I asked Olaf some questions Thursday afternoon, but Dayle indicated that Olaf was giving me too much, so we broke that off and I continued on my own. I trust that Dayle has a good idea of where I am; if he thinks I know this stuff, then maybe I do.
However, I couldn't make any headway. When Dayle picked me up at the train station Friday morning I said, "I know you think I know this stuff, but it's not coming together for me. I need to ask Olaf some more questions." He agreed, noting that this was supposed to further my education, so this was good.
Olaf and I did talk some more and I tried to confine my questions to the background information that they all take for granted. Then I finished the mock up and sent the files to Olaf and Dayle. The three of us met to discuss my results; as I expected, I failed to get the right results. What was surprising was that my assumptions helped Olaf realize that some of his assumptions were also incorrect, so my effort was useful in that manner.
I carefully stepped through my process, noting my interpretations and assumptions along the way. Dayle and Olaf would stop and explain things to me that I misunderstood or just didn't know. At the end of the meeting, Dayle asked Olaf and I to try again. The goal is for our files to match. I'm supposed to have my mock up done by this afternoon.
This process could have been absolutely horrible in an office with a different boss, but with Dayle there are no problems. I'm able to set aside any defensiveness. I don't feel the need to minimize my ignorance. There's no "emotional undertow", as I like to describe it.
Friday was also payday ($5,700 in the bank after three months) and Bagel Day, more reasons why it was a good day. :-)
Russell and I had dinner at the Mt. Vernon Stable. We had intended to hit the new sushi restaurant in the Inner Harbor, but the weather was so wet and blustery that we aborted that plan. Russell was happy to see me so bouncy; I was still tripping over my day (despite the transit weirdness in the morning and the evening).
