What to do when you own a program you know nothing about.
There wil be times when you have to own a program that isn’t your expertise. Instead of spiraling into despair, ride that wave.
Here are the four stages of The Nebulous Wave™️ as told by NBA memes and player mottos.
- "Why Not”: This is the moment you’re asked to run the program. You’re slightly curious, but don’t know anything other than the fact that you said yes.
- “See red”: Immediate regrets. After a week on the job you realize you’re way outside of your comfort zone. You have absolutely no idea what you’re doing and the only thing you want to do is yeet this program to the sun.
- “Trust the process”: Post-panic, you take a look around and recognize that you’re the sailor of this ship, and you have to start acting like one. You develop a stronger sense of ownership and tackle this challenge head on. As they say, the only way out is through.
- “BING BONG”: You’re at 85% confidence. After all, it’s still new, and new things take time. But you move forward and see a clear path to land.
There are a few cheat codes to skip from Phase 1 to Phase 4, but they require some humility:
- Ask for help: Not everyone’s favorite thing to do, but it’s always the most effective. Schedule a meeting with stakeholders, ping your manager, or craft a brief and ask a colleague to review it.
- Research: Watch a video, listen to a podcast, attend an event. Literally, the internet.
Remember: #JustKeep Swimming
