Just Like Riding A Bike

Nick told me he’s been doing project management work for so long he forgot what it’s like to be configuring. Now he’s been asked to do a role where both skills are required and he’s afraid to get back in it.

It can be scary doing something you haven’t done in a while regardless of the reason. While remembering what you knew before, now you also have to consider what might have changed since you last did it. It’s daunting.

Where do you start?

At the beginning.

You don’t have to dive straight into the deep end. Start with remembering the basics. What are the task prompts to get you to the right screens? Once you start playing around for a little while, you’ll find things will start to come back to you.

Uh oh! You’ve hit something you can’t remember, can’t find, or flat out never knew. Take a breath. Remember the tools you have available to you like Community. The config guides in there are actually really helpful. You wouldn’t be in this position at all if you couldn’t do it.

When I literally relearned how to ride my bike last year, I found it easiest to make sure I fell into the grass while I was regaining my confidence. Figure out where your metaphoric grass is. Maybe it’s your team that’s supporting you. Maybe you have time on your side to figure things out.

Ultimately know there will be times when you fall, but you’ll also get back up again if you have the right padding. Don’t be afraid to get back into the weeds. It will only make you appear stronger and better able to talk the talk. If it’s not something you enjoy doing, have that conversation with your leadership and make sure they’re aware of your goals.

If you need help finding your padding, I can help point you in the right direction. Don’t hesitate to ask!