I suppose it's rather ironic that I, of all people, would
be promoting the benefits of teaching. Having always been
a somewhat conspicuous character, I endured many years of
my friends poking and prodding me to share what I've learned,
the hard way I might add, with others. Throughout that time,
the surest way to see me twitch and bolt out of the room was
to use my name and the word teacher in the same sentence.
Life, however, has it's own little ways of pointing you in
the right direction, just in case your friends aren't using
sharp enough sticks. Over the years, I found myself drifting
into positions where I was in fact passing on to others the
things that I've learned myself, just as others have done
for me. Eventually, I realized that like many of my preconceived
notions, I had this teaching thing all wrong. I thought that
in order to teach, you first had to become wise and infallible
yourself. Since I question my wisdom on a daily basis and
probably make more mistakes than the average guy, this made
me nervous. I didn't want people showing up on my doorstep
with torches and pitchforks once they caught on that I was
just a mere mortal.
Once I got over these misconceptions, I found that helping
people was one of the most gratifying experiences of my life.
Since I didn't have to be some exalted deity to be of value
to others, I could lock up my insecurities and ego in a small
room and leave them to argue over who controls the remote
for the TV. Instead, I could enjoy watching friends avoid
the stupid mistakes that I myself have made.
Another interesting thing happens when you pass along your
knowledge and experience to others. You learn. Regardless
of what I'm showing others, it always astounds me how much
I still operate on automatic pilot. This is pointed out each
time I show someone a particular trick and they ask me why
I do it that way, or what the purpose is in the overall scheme
of things. As I stand there stupidly with my gears spinning
wildly in neutral, I realize that it's either been so long
since I learned myself that I've forgotten why, or that when
someone passed this bit of wisdom along to me I simply employed
it without giving it any further thought.
Either way, I'm forced to dig a little deeper into that particular
skill set and understand the answer myself so that I can then
pass it along to others. And of course, I always reserve the
right to say "I don't know, but I'll get the answer for
you." Honesty is a requirement for credibility. It also
keeps the ego busy watching old Bugs Bunny reruns on TV.
Looking at life with this new perspective, I've been surprised
over the years by how many people feel that they have nothing
to teach. Like me, they have a host of perfectly reasonable
sounding explanations. They're not old enough, they're not
perfect at what they do, they're not good with people, and
so on. More than likely, they're just nervous about it, as
I was.
No matter what you do with your days, you're good at something.
You're continually building up a storehouse of experience
and knowledge in the areas that interest you. If you look
around, you'll see others who share these interests standing
just a couple of steps behind you on the road. Learn to recognize
these opportunities and take the time to share the tips and
tricks that you've picked up along the way.
There is no more rewarding experience in the world than the
feeling you get when someone else's life improves a little
because of your help. You'll also find that your life benefits
as well. Teachers are just students doing their homework.
Christopher Duncan is the best selling author of Unite
the Tribes and The Career Programmer. In addition to his seminars,
he's a popular speaker and frequent guest on radio shows across
the country. He's currently working to improve companies and
careers nationwide through his work with the Campaign for
American Excellence. To contact Christopher, visit http://www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
