When you get your first “real job,” it doesn’t take you long to realize that the learning has only begun. A degree is a good first step—and a ticket in—but there is no substitute for experience. Depending on the field, there may be business, or technical, and/or project management skills to build. In nearly any field, there are new arenas of human relations to navigate and demystify.
Of all project management skills, it took me longer to get good at estimating a large project timeline than any other one thing. On the human relations side, I would occasionally encounter a perplexing defensiveness I couldn’t explain. I’d be talking to someone, and the person would suddenly and noticeably become more curt, with less eye contact and perhaps even a touch of impetuousness.
It took me some years to reliably identify it, but I finally did. The sudden hostility happens when a person either knows s/he should be able to answer something you’ve asked him/her, or should be able to discuss a subject intelligently, but can’t. The person has prepared insufficiently, or not at all, and s/he believes you’re getting too close to exposing him/her.
I’m seeing a lot of this behavior right now—whenever Barack Obama or John Kerry talks about Syria.
You might also like:
- It’s way worse in your head. I promise.
You ever do something embarrassing, clumsy, or both with a person you like and/or respect, and you c… - Human trafficking: the real apocalypse now
Apocalypse Now is one of my favorite films ever. Nathan and I have watched most of my other all-time… - Dad’s easy rapport
Something that still amazes me about my father is his easy rapport. Dad is better at making someone … - Defending the orca
My thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of Dawn Brancheau, the trainer who was kille… - Government-funded Good Thing!
Folks, let’s go over something real quick, OK? This… Person 1: “We should support government-funde…