Apprenticeship Patterns: Exposing Your Ignorance

When previously looking at ‘Apprenticeship Patterns’ we discussed the importance of the pattern ‘The White belt'(You can read more about that here: https://georgechyoghlycs343.wordpress.com/2022/01/26/apprenticeship-patterns-wearing-your-white-belt/). That pattern focused on the importance of being able to set aside past experiences to learn something new. To build upon this we will be looking at the pattern titled ‘Exposing Your Ignorance’.

As we previously saw, it is important to always be learning, especially for software craftsmen who must always be prepared to learn a new language or technology stack for their current job. However, this ever-evolving profession presents a common risk that many fall victim to. It is far too often that we feel pressure to appear competent in front of our peers and our managers. People depend on us to be confident and deliver on whatever job is put in front of us.

You may feel pressured to give your manager reassurance that you know what they want, how to give it to them and when it will be done. But to do so will only be detrimental to your reputation in the long run if you cannot deliver. Instead, it is important to set aside your pride and be truthful with both yourself and your peers regarding your capabilities. If you want to reassure anyone on anything, do so on your ability to learn.

Dave Hoover, an author of this book worked as a family therapist previously and often took the “not knowing” stance when dealing with every new family. This feeling of not knowing would eventually become something that he grew attached to, as a reminder that he was in the right place, that he was learning something new and growing as a person.

To “Expose your Ignorance” you must embrace the learning process, you must have the courage to “Wear your White Belt” and commit to the learning process. Some don’t and fall back on what they are already familiar with. Those people generally become experts but this is not the goal of an apprentice. An apprentice will, by the end of their apprenticeship, have a solid grasp on a few different technologies they can use to create robust software applications. A master craftsman will have a handle on a myriad of different technologies and be able to create large, complex software.

One thing that is discussed in the book you can do now is take a sheet of paper, write down a list of 5 different software tools you do not understand. Post this paper in an area that you and anyone else can see it and update it as you learn more and your work changes. Setting aside your pride to do this can help prevent future pressure from causing you to act in ways that may be detrimental to you in the future.

Bibliography:

Hoover, Dave H., and Adewale Oshineye. Apprenticeship Patterns: Guidance for the Aspiring Software Craftsman. O’Reilly, 2010.