Letting Expert’s Genius Shine in the Cloud Computing Age
Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing it is stupid. ~ Albert Einstein
by Pete Steere
One of the most difficult aspects of training professionals already accomplished in their field is remembering that they are experts. I have traveled the world training partner companies how to use Transitional Data Services’ proprietary software, TransitionManager.
TransitionManager is a collaborative, web-based software suite that simplifies and streamlines the overall execution of complex transformation initiatives. In the course of my travels, I have taught experts, many of whom are older and more experienced than me. As I walk through the training I can sometimes sense the class thinking, “What is this guy going to tell me that I don’t already know?”. Rather than ignore this current of skepticism, I use it to my advantage.
The beauty of TransitionManager (TM) is that it does not re-write the book of knowledge about data center technology or how to go about data center projects. In fact, I am not training experts about how to do their jobs, rather I’m showing them how to complete projects more efficiently. I emphasize the fact that TM will not take over their job; instead, I tell them TM will allow them to do what they are already doing in a way that is more organized, consistent, resilient and, therefore, efficient. This turns their initial skepticism to excitement, curiosity, and, sometimes, disbelief. By pointing to specific TM features, like those found here (and here), users quickly realize the huge advantages of using TransitionManager on their projects and see just how streamlined and beautiful data center projects can be.
Einstein said, “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid”. As a trained educator, I have heard this quote many times, and up until recently, I believed it was a reminder to pay attention to my learners. Now as I train IT experts who practice their genius every day, usually behind closed doors, I interpret it differently. Guiding these experts to see how TransitionManager yields efficiency in their work allows their genius to shine.