There are few situations in which an engineer would say let’s promise something we’re not 100% confident we can deliver on now.
But the truth, according to Seth Godin, is that you need to raise your hand before you’re ready. See what he says about this process, which he compares to buzzing in on a game show:
What separates this approach from mere recklessness is the experience of discovering (in the right situation) that buzzing makes your work better, that buzzing helps you dig deeper, that buzzing inspires you.
In my career, AT&T’s Technology Development Program rewarded me for buzzing in. And so I did. Both to create the New Jersey Finance Club, and to lead the Innovation Lab, for the rotational program.
Was I qualified to revitalize a decommissioned server rack, link up VoIP phones, and lead projects/presentations for the growth of the org?
Not even close.
So I leveraged AT&T’s biggest resource–its people–and I asked for help relentlessly until I found the right person for each job.
[embed Google Photos vid from Dec 4th]