Last week at our full-company get together, each person was asked to say two things to the group: 1. What do you want to get better at? 2. What do you want to learn?
Unfortunately I was out sick and unable to participate, but I heard it was a great session. Had I been there, here’s what I would have said.
1. I want to be a better teacher. I feel like I’ve been guilty of “drive-by teaching” over the last year or so. Someone will show their work and I’ll see an opportunity to make it better. But instead of spending time with that person to teach them what I see and how to make it better, I’ll drop some quick comments in Campfire (or IM or email) and then just move on. Things like “That sentence is a bit wordy – let’s try it this way” or “I think there are too many horizontal lines going on here… Can you remove some?” It’s not that the comments aren’t useful, it’s that I drop them and move on. That’s not teaching, that’s just critiquing and suggesting and that’s not going to help people get better. Teaching is about encouraging understanding — and patience. I want to be a better teacher. I’m going to be working on that this year.
2. I want to learn Rails. I’m surrounded with some of the best Rails programmers in the world, yet I’m mostly clueless when it comes to Rails. That’s gotta change. It’s time to get a good basic understanding of Rails. I’ve always enjoyed what little programming I’ve done. Be it back in the day with FileMaker (that’s barely programming, but it let me make programs I wanted), or what little PHP I knew. It’s a constant frustration for me that I can’t make my designs work on my own. I can design it, but I just don’t have the knowledge to hook it up. I also believe learning Rails will make me a better designer. First step: I signed up for the Getting Started with Ruby on Rails tutorial at Windy City Rails. I’m really looking forward to it.
Those are my two things. What are yours?
Robert
on 27 Aug 101) Be a better writer. I’m not a good writer at all, I started my blog a little while back to combat this. People keep saying that you become a better writer through writing, so we’ll see how it goes.
2) Learn ASP .NET MVC 2. I want to learn web programming on the forefront of technology this year, instead of always doing work in versions that are a little dated.
Charl van Niekerk
on 27 Aug 10Being a programmer mostly I rarely do any graphic design so that would definitely be at the top of my list. I’m by no means a brilliant designer but at least knowing the basics would help.
Secondly I would love to increase my presentation skills. That is something which always comes in handy at the various conventions, conferences and unconferences!
JJ
on 27 Aug 10Charl I recommend Dale Carnegie Training or Toastmasters. They are both very different but can help in different ways.
Scott Miller
on 27 Aug 10Working on saying “no”. Accepting a lot fewer requests that come my way. Spending more time on the requests that really matter to me, and are aligned with my ambition and narrative.
Rahul
on 27 Aug 10Jason, I absolutely agree that being able to code makes you a better designer. You’ll understand the programming and server architecture so much better once you know what it takes to code it. Your designs will become even more focused and in sync with the programming environment. Everything you make will be tighter, and you won’t lose time designing something that turns out to be tough to implement.
In short, learning to code adds a constraint to your skill set: you’ll no longer make crazy stuff that can only exist in utopia. And that’s a good thing.
Andy Kant
on 27 Aug 101. Leadership. While I’m not too interested in being a manager since my passion is for development/engineering, I would like to get better at leading teams.
2. iOS development. I have researched the topic, but Objective-C makes my eyes bleed which has discouraged me from learning it further (feels like a step backward compared to most modern languages).
Igwe
on 27 Aug 101.prob how to make more money for me
Peter Nguyen
on 27 Aug 101. I want to be better at not talking about things I am or want to work on. I’ve been doing better at this recently, but like an old post I read here, I have the tendency to talk a lot about ideas and concepts I have but never fully follow through. Now that I’ve been simply working on things and talking about them when I launch, my work is a lot better.
2. Learning RoR as well. I have never coded aside from a few websites, but there a few things I want to do with my shopify for that haven’t been made yet. I’ve always been the scratch your own itch kind of guy, so I just bought some RoR books and I’m jumping right in.
JD
on 27 Aug 101. Sex (seriously. I’m 18. This is important to me right now) 2. Python or Ruby
Bijan
on 27 Aug 101. I need to get better at finishing. I start 3 books for every 1 that I finish. I start 3 projects for every 1 that I finish. I start dating 3 girls, and… actually I’m okay with that part.
But Seth Godin’s speech about ‘quieting the lizard brain’ has stuck with me for quite a while now. There’s a million great unfinished books/projects/businesses out there for every one that gets finished.
2. And I’d love to learn how to run a startup from top to bottom. I’ve been pretty much trying to learn everything from UI design to LAMP to business all at the same time. And maybe that explains why I need to get better at finishing.
Martin Pilkington
on 27 Aug 101. I want to get better at self restraint. I find myself wandering from project to project recently, not being able to get one finished.
2. Two things really, I want to learn Rails for some web stuff and I want to learn the Xcode tools much better. I’ve used them for going on 6 years but I’ve only scratched the surfaces of most of the tools I use.
@Andy Kant: I think if you give it some time you might like Obj-C, especially if you grasp Ruby. Whether you like the syntax is up to what you like in a language, but in terms of capabilities it is very similar to Ruby, to the degree that Ruby has been able to be re-implemented on top of the Objective-C runtime.
Jane Quigley
on 27 Aug 101. I’ve just made a commitment to be a better mentor. Since our acquisition, things have been crazy busy and it’s easy to make that less of a priority (and hey, everyone should understand, right?). That’s wrong – and I’m working with 3 people who really deserve the time. It’ll make us all better.
2. I want to be a better photographer – I love it and it adds a lot to everything me. I’m taking a few classes and bringing my camera with me everywhere and asking for criticism from people who I admire (not who will tell me what I want to hear).
Nick Ragaz
on 27 Aug 10As a recipient, I’ve actually found drive-by teaching (from bosses, editors, whomever) surprisingly powerful—it forces me to ask “what’s better about this way” and answer the question myself. And critique what I do before I present it to the “teacher”. I think “over-teaching” adds little marginal value unless you are trying to take someone from 0 – 60 very quickly.
Anonymous Coward
on 27 Aug 10test
Ben Carlson
on 27 Aug 101. I want to be a better Dad (and husband). Sounds cliche, but if you’re a Dad(or husband), you know what I mean! :)
2. I want to learn to listen more to everyone I come in contact with… I really, truly suck at this. I don’t want to just consume the words that the other member of the conversation is spewing out, I want to comprehend better. I think doing so would help me in many areas of my personal and work life!
-Ben
Igo Konrads
on 27 Aug 101) I would love to get better at writing. Actually I haven`t even started blogging yet, but that’s something I am constantly following and learning about.
2) Vectors! I feel quite comfortable using Photoshop, but Illustrator is still giving me a bit of a hard time.
Unlike some other people here, I want to become as good as I possibly can in something I do – design! I am not a programmer and the time I would have to spend learning it, I’d much rather spend learning something new about design.
Igo
Jeremy Victor
on 27 Aug 101. Maintaining the balance of work and life. I starting up a new media marketing agency, raising three kids, running two blogs, and frankly, not sleeping nearly enough. I want to get better at taking care of myself, excercising so that I reduce the impact I am having on my life expectancy. I feel like at times I am trading minutes now for minutes with my future grandchildren. I want to get better at balance.
2. I want to learn php. I started out as an undergrad in chemical engineering. Once I got to calc and physics four, it was to much for me. I never got the the engineering. Now after learning, HTML, CSS, I want to expand my knowledge of programming to take advantage of the engineering that is in my DNA.
Henrik Bjornskov
on 27 Aug 101) Be better at interacting with other people mainly when things dosen’t go my way (i quickly get irritated)
2) Get better at focusing on the job at hand and be better at keeping myself motivated in the projects i am envolved with.
Jason Klug
on 27 Aug 101) I want to become a better programmer. I do light stuff now, but I’m positive that I’d be great at it once I’ve made my way far enough up the learning curve to navigate on my own.
2) I want to write more. It’s the one part of my job that I actually went to school for, but I use it so little. Maybe that means I start a personal journal, maybe that means I get a regular column in a publication that interests me—but I want to write more.
gothy
on 27 Aug 101. managing and inspiring people and myself. 2. marketing, building audience, sales.
Keith Norman
on 27 Aug 10What did the other 37 signalers have to say? Just curious..
Aaron M
on 27 Aug 10Interesting post, Jason, I think i’m guilty of that as well when I give insight to one of our designers for when he codes some basic html.
1) There’s many things I’d like to improve on for my own skills, but I think for work related, learning how to explain vast technical subjects better to those who are not as knowledgeable in the field. It not only give them better assurance as to what I am doing, and what the company I work for is doing, but it will also allow me to convince someone why we should do things this way as supposed to another way.
2) I want to learn and improve my skills in both designing great visuals, and designing/structuring programs that have great usability. I have decent technical knowledge, but I’d like to be able to look at things from a design perspective as well. Not just limiting to graphics, but usability and copy as well.
Erez Ben Shoham
on 27 Aug 10Jason, ones you learn Rails you will be a better designer and you will be a better programmer because you are also a designer.
good luck Erez
Joschwa
on 27 Aug 101. Starting short lists.
2. Completing short lists.
That is all.
dave rau
on 27 Aug 10Great idea for a post Jason.
1 — Be a better typographer. Knowing a handful of favorite faces is one thing, but I’d like to be able to recognize everyday type better, know more about the history and time periods of faces and styles so I know when something is out of place historically.
2 — Make more analogue things. Get off a fucking screen and make more with my hands. Draw again. Take more photos. Make and scan more textures. Paint. Cut photos and type from magazines and do paper collage — Dada style!
Blain Smith
on 27 Aug 101. I need to get better at sympathizing with a client especially if they are a friend when something happens to their website. I tend to be very curt and abrasive because they are hysterical when the site doesn’t work or people are bashing their new design. Basically I have to become a therapist and listen and respond positively to make them feel better.
2. I want to learn typography. This is the one area I seem to pick on a whim because I see good examples elsewhere. Being able to pick type for a reason would be the bee’s knees.
Dylan
on 27 Aug 101. I want to get better at NOT comparing myself to others. I have a tendency to look at myself and situation and compare it to other’s lives.
This is bad because I don’t truly know the other person’s situation so I’m comparing apples to oranges. Even if I do know their situation fully, I still don’t want to compare myself to them because I’m me and they’re they (is that proper grammar? haha).
2. I want to get better at making videos. I love filming, editing quick videos with families and friends.
Brian Septon
on 27 Aug 101. I need to get better at taking a big picture idea and dividing into small managable steps to make progress on.
2. I want to learn about blogging.
Adam
on 27 Aug 101. Better and managing workload and time estimations
2. learn Gujarati (I’m the only non-Indian in a company of 28). I’m sick to death of learning computer languages, I want to learn a human language.
GeeIWonder
on 27 Aug 101. Make the world a better place
2. Help others make the world a better place
3. Don’t adhere to bullshit constraints
Also, while you’re learning Rails, it may be time to consider learning teaching. I wouldn’t call what you describe as teaching at all, not even ‘drive by’. A big screen with Sal Khan is great, but 5 minutes with a real teacher would be better. God knows there’s lots of places in Chicago where you could do that (and by the way help others out too).
All the more reason if you and 37s are going to be experimenting with customer training as mentioned in a previous post.
Anonymous Coward
on 27 Aug 10GeeIWonder has taught me how to be an asshole.
Steve Williams
on 28 Aug 10It’s great that you posted it here.
Welcome to the real world.
Full company get together – is this weekly or monthly ritual you plan to follow ? Is this not completely against your advice of meetings are evil. This could be a campfire session where everyone post their 2 things at their own convenience. Why a full company get together ?
Coming to your 1st point on teaching, I guess you realized that the new hires are not AS-INDEPENDENT-AS-YOU-WISH & do the same mistake again & again or don’t think like you do. That’s the reason you realize the need of teaching / training only now – after 10 years in business.
Teaching don’t happen easily. You have to interrupt them. You have to meet them. You just can’t have them fully on campfire.
Welcome back to the real world.
Fabrice Dubois
on 28 Aug 10Yes, learn a great programming language if you have time! I learnt Objective Caml in the past (I don’t know Rails), and today I realize how much it contributed to help me build more general design skills.
A great language has few core concepts, but these don’t overlap, and by combining them you can express anything you like. That forces you to design a solution for economy, robustness, and elegance (because doing otherwise is simply harder!). And coming up with elegant solutions is very addictive.
Richard
on 28 Aug 10Hi Jason,
Couple of points.
1, Have you not considered that your Rails ignorance is perhaps a considerable advantage to your team if not you. Surely you approach problems without the baggage of the complexity? Not worked out too badly for you so far.
2, It seems that you are working on a weakness. Have you read ‘Now discover your strengths’ by Marcus Buckingham. Basic premise being that you will only ever be ok at Rails because you do not have a natural aptitude 4 it and as a result it will require a lot of effort for a little improvement where as if you spent your time improving your communication, creative and leaderships skills that you have a natural flair and curiosity for you can become truly world class at them.
Anyway love 37Signals and your contribution. Thanks
JF
on 28 Aug 10Full company get together – is this weekly or monthly ritual you plan to follow ? Is this not completely against your advice of meetings are evil. This could be a campfire session where everyone post their 2 things at their own convenience. Why a full company get together ?
We get together as a full company twice a year for a week at a time. While we work together as a group during this time, the purpose of the event is mostly social in nature. We get to see each other and hang out with each other. It’s especially useful for new employees who haven’t met the rest of the crew. Half our company never sees each other (they all live in different cities) so this is an opportunity for some solid face time for everyone.
Hankzy
on 28 Aug 101. I want to start a company like 37signals 2. I want to make it successful with simple but best products.
Aaron M
on 28 Aug 10@Hankzy Better get cracking at the development and design of your products :)
Neil
on 29 Aug 10I love that ‘drive by teaching’ analogy…
ET
on 29 Aug 101. I want to start a business that allows me to charge customers monthly like 37s.
2. I want to learn Rails. I have been watching as many tutorials as possible for about a week or so. I currently have a very simple Rails app working on my Mac. Next, is to just keep learning and get the app on my server :-)
Jared White
on 30 Aug 101. I want to get better at communicating strongly and passionately about the things I care about. My personality is such that I tend to moderate what I say so as to not “overwhelm” or offend people, and then later I end up resenting people not understanding me. That is a character flaw I am working on!
2. I want to learn how to write and publish an e-book.
Vanitha Jeyaprakash
on 01 Sep 10What do you want to get better at? I have a blog for myself, which I would like to write quite often and not once in a blue moon. I want to make some improvement in my writing skills as well.
What do you want to learn? My father brought home a used electronic keyboard player. First I thought that takes much of the space in our living room and asked him to leave it in his room. Now I got enlighten and find a perfect spot in our living room and started learning keyboard. Very excited!
This discussion is closed.