Daily Cup of Tech

Almost every person who works in IT has found themselves at one time or another dealing with someone who is at a different technical level than they are. They could be your boss, a co-worker, a friend, or a client. And, sooner or later, the IT worker finds themselves in trouble. They are starting to hear statement like:

“I’m not an idiot so don’t talk to me like I am!”

“I don’t understand all your techno-babble!”

“Just explain it to me in plain English!”

I refer to this phenomenon as the knowledge gap trap. Essentially, the IT person has misjudged the technical level of the person they are speaking or working with and attempted to explain a technical concept at the misjudged technical level.

There are several assumptions that the IT person has made that put them into the situation that they now find themselves. Understanding these assumptions is the first step to avoiding them.

1. Others have the same knowledge and experience that you do. This was one of the biggest mistake that I have made in the past and I still find making this mistake from time to time. Essentially, I found myself short changing myself and my skills, especially when I am talking to people in the IT industry that have very specific skills. These people know their specific field in extreme detail and know pretty much everything there is to know in that field. I always assumed that if they know that much about one field, they must know that much about all IT fields. In reality, many of these people know so much in their specific fields because they have put all of their focus on that field. It is not uncommon for these people to have little or know understanding of other areas of IT.
2. People of perceived different status have assumed higher/lower technical skills. I discovered this bad assumption when I was working for a college IT department. I was amazed that the professors, almost all of which have their doctorates, were not generally technical. As stated earlier, most of these people have spent most of their lives focusing on one area. Computers often are seen as a necessary evil. I have also found that people whom society has labeled as “lower class” often have some very strong technical skills because computers is a hobby. Instead of putting all of that extra time into a “career”, they can focus on their computer hobby.
3. If you are not in IT, you can’t understand IT. I have been amazed by how much knowledge many non-IT people have. The president of an oil company that I worked for was one of the strongest people that I have ever met from a technical perspective. He knew and understood computers better than many IT people.
4. Someone who is at a lower technical level than I can’t teach me anything. What a mistake to make! Never be so arrogant to assume that you know more about all areas of IT than those that are under you.

In order to avoid some of these nasty problems, try keeping these tips in mind:

1. If you have an open mind, you can learn from anyone, regardless of status or rank.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask people how technical they are.
3. Be willing to teach others as well as learn from them.
4. Never assume someone has equal amounts of technical skills in all technical areas.

With these tips and a solid dose of good luck, you will be able to avoid the knowledge gap trap!