(1) Time. You get asked to do something. You dont get the full info dump in the meeting so you say yes and go off hopeful that you can find the stuff you need. Other responsibilies mean you dont get around to looking everything up until time has passed. It is at that stage that you realise the hiring process hasnt even been finalised or that even one wrong parameter out of 10 confusing parameters would be bad. But now its mildly awkard to go back and explain this—they gave this to you on Thursday, its now Monday.
(2) Story Noise. When you were told these stories by freinds, they only gave the salient details, not a word for word repeat of everything that was said. But, at the time they experienced it word by word, they didnt know what the story beats were yet. Some of those details were just distractions, but some of them might be semi relevant. I know when i tell stories i simplify, and sometimes people assume specific solutions are possible or desrieble because of details they dont know.
Both of these are quite believable. It took me a LONG time to get to a maturity/confidence level where I can say (still not comfortably, but I recognize that it must happen for good outcomes) “I’m just getting to this now, and I’m sorry I didn’t notice earlier that I don’t fully understand X and Y. Can you help clarify what’s the purpose/expectation/methodology for this?”
My quick thoughts on why this happens.
(1) Time. You get asked to do something. You dont get the full info dump in the meeting so you say yes and go off hopeful that you can find the stuff you need. Other responsibilies mean you dont get around to looking everything up until time has passed. It is at that stage that you realise the hiring process hasnt even been finalised or that even one wrong parameter out of 10 confusing parameters would be bad. But now its mildly awkard to go back and explain this—they gave this to you on Thursday, its now Monday.
(2) Story Noise. When you were told these stories by freinds, they only gave the salient details, not a word for word repeat of everything that was said. But, at the time they experienced it word by word, they didnt know what the story beats were yet. Some of those details were just distractions, but some of them might be semi relevant. I know when i tell stories i simplify, and sometimes people assume specific solutions are possible or desrieble because of details they dont know.
Both of these are quite believable. It took me a LONG time to get to a maturity/confidence level where I can say (still not comfortably, but I recognize that it must happen for good outcomes) “I’m just getting to this now, and I’m sorry I didn’t notice earlier that I don’t fully understand X and Y. Can you help clarify what’s the purpose/expectation/methodology for this?”