Working around gaps in technical knowledge

At d.trio, we pride ourselves on understanding technology and helping clients with related problems. In this digital age, knowing every detail of the technology we work with can be a monumental task. We’re surrounded by tech that makes our everyday working lives easier (computers, designer software, project management software, etc.) and I, like most of us, would probably have a tough time explaining how all of it works. Sure, I can use it and I have an idea of how it functions but do I really know how it works. Probably not, but should I?

No doubt we’ve all had to explain the details of something we don’t fully understand. The confusion can sometimes only be compounded upon when attempting to describe something to a complete lay person. In my work I often find myself stuck between the confidence of my knowledge and that aching feeling I’m forgetting something. I mean, how can anyone really be expected to know the subtle differences in behavior between every version of every email client in existence anyway, it’s preposterous, right?…

The truth is there is no silver bullet to this problem. All you can do is learn. Which is why research has been an indispensable part of every task of my job and has truly become second nature for me. Even in those moments I’m 99% sure I’m correct I’ll double check my work. If you have trouble understanding something, surround yourself with experts who do and don’t forget to ask questions! The professional world is rife with fear of admitting gaps in knowledge, but it really shouldn’t be. It’s not like we have to run very far for answers anymore. No grand quests across oceans are needed to find the answers we seek. All it takes is a few moments, the internet, some cross-referencing/double-checking and maybe a call or two. No one should be expected to hold the entirety of human knowledge at the ready within their skull, and if they did I doubt they would have much room for creativity.

Keep learning and keep researching. As a rather bright human (Albert Einstein) once said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” So, if you find yourself in this situation, then it’s probably time to study-up.