By Poornima Vijayashanker Have you ever been asked the question: “Why did you do it that way?” It’s one I get asked often. I …
By Poornima Vijayashanker
Have you ever been asked the question: “Why did you do it that way?”
It’s one I get asked often.
I don’t mind when people ask me. I sense that the person asking wants to understand my thought process and learn from me. So I think it’s worthwhile taking the time to explain.
There are times when people aren’t really inquisitive. Instead of asking, they just say, “WHY DID YOU DO IT THAT WAY?”
You immediately feel like you’re put on the spot, and need to defend your decision.
It shakes your confidence, and makes you feel crappy, like you’ve sinned.
You haven’t, but you go ahead and “defend” your decision. Then you get lectured on why you should do things their way.
If you’ve had this experience more than once it’s natural to come to the conclusion that you’ve done something wrong. And you never want to feel that way again. So the next time you get a project, instead of taking a risk, going against the grain, or trying something new: you play it safe.
You take precautions, go with the flow, and do what others tell you to.
You do exactly what they expect.
But do you get noticed or rewarded? Probably not.
Why?
Because those who exceed expectations are the ones who are rewarded.
So what do you do?
Let me know in the blog comments below.
