I don’t think it works like that. Are there really skills we can master instantly? As human’s we aren’t built like that are we? Would you want to be a human with a plug-in? Rid ourselves of some of our humanity? I guess some of us would love that. I note the appeal, especially if we’re tearing our hair out over something. Me recently with hours spent struggling with IT for example, I’m struggling with learning the language. I can’t help but wonder about the unfortunate happiness engineers on here. They get 5* from me today for patience and persistence. It was me who had to leave the work in progress, on to another job. But we’re getting there.
We had the heating engineer round. He was talking about his IT struggles and how he’s found a brilliant automated solution that takes hours off his time which is allowing him time with his family. The failure of effective infrastructure with regard to supporting apprentices is more of a headache for him. Not just a headache, a huge expense that for some reason always seems to require justification. And the fact that he’s supporting his family in grief.
We talked about tricky customers and how over the years he’s learnt to talk to them. How at first he used to avoid them, focus on the job to be done. Only now am I thinking the abruptness he was talking about might have been accounted for, on the occasion that he described, by how the person couldn’t hear on the phone, is fearful of being let down again and how he gets all officious, trying to stay present when he feels out of his depth. Erm, there’s shadow work in here and food for thought.
It’s not a skill that comes instantaneously. Is there really one that does?
What skills are the ones that matter to you?
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