Junilu Lacar wrote:
You: "Ok, this what I understood... explain in your own words what you think the other person said"
Junilu Lacar wrote: Sometimes to avoid looking stupid, you have to risk being honest and less than perfect (because none of us are perfect, of course).
Les Morgan wrote:
Don't be afraid to ask questions if you miss something.
Junilu Lacar wrote:You: Thanks again for your input. This was a lot to take in so I might have to get your input again on other details. Can I ping you once I've fully digested and analyzed the implications of this new information? I want to make sure I understand this correctly.
Junilu Lacar wrote:[ There's absolutely NOTHING wrong with asking the other person to check your understanding. Even if you let them talk it all through first, then ask them to listen to what you are taking away, it's still better than looking like you got everything and then it turns out you didn't because you missed something or misunderstood it and that shows up in the work that you did. You look far more inattentive or stupid when that happens.
Junilu Lacar wrote: Don't be afraid to ask for feedback in the moment!
Junilu Lacar wrote:
Do you see how it helps keep you more focused?
Junilu Lacar wrote:
Essentially, getting a single level of abstraction makes the code focused on intent rather than implementation. With respect to the conversations you're having with an SME, you want to make sure you're clear on intent first (high-level summary and functional levels) before delving into subtask details (the fish-eye view). This is how you can iteratively refine your understanding of the work.
Junilu Lacar wrote:The "someone" who explains the details of the complex work is a subject matter expert (SME) and the listener taking notes is a developer, .
Junilu Lacar wrote:
Just as we write code and try to keep methods at a single level of abstraction, you would also want to follow a similar principle for your conversations with SMEs.
Junilu Lacar wrote:can't just be written down as a procedure to be followed. If it could be written down as a procedure to follow, then why have a meeting about it?