Rule #4: Always, No Surprises

Some people think surprises are fun, I'm definitely not one of those people.  I think it's better to know than not know and there are ways to make sure you learn things at the right time.

People don’t like to feel stupid. They don’t have to be the smartest person in the room, but they definitely don’t want to be the dumbest. The dumbest people get the worst deal.

One way people feel stupid is when they are confronted with information they could have or should have known earlier. It's embarrassing to be unprepared, to look stupid. They were surprised by something that should not have been surprising.

If that person is your boss and you had the needed information, things are going to get ugly. The boss is responsible for managing you and your peers. If they are surprised by a development related to one of your assignments, and they did not learn it from you, it appears as though they are not managing well. It's not always written in your job description, but it is always a good idea to keep the boss up to date. When you fail to keep the boss up to date it hurts their leadership, it hurts the team, it hurts you.

Don't let your boss be surprised. Your boss should learn it from you before they learn it from anyone else.

Although this is the fourth rule, it could be the only rule - if all issues could be anticipated. All the previous rules are really special guidance when there is not enough time or opportunity to follow this one. If you remember only one rule, it's this one. Understanding and following this rule is a good way to avoid breaking the other rules.

There are lots of ways of being smart. A good one is not to be surprised.

-AR

© Aron Ruthe, 2015

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