A few years ago I learnt a very valuable lesson.


I was on a training course (the subject of which escapes me at the moment) and after a very lengthy explanation of something important, the tutor asked if we’d understood what he’d said…


To be honest, it all sounded completely 'double-dutch' to me but looking around the room at my colleagues, who were all nodding as an indication that they knew what he was talking about, I felt a little ‘out of my depth’…


Now I could have just nodded along with my colleagues, kept quiet and hoped that all would become clear as we went on but something inside said ‘No…This is important. Ask him to clarify what he just said’ 


So I stuck up my hand and said ‘I’m sorry but could you explain that again for me as I didn’t understand’ fully expecting there to be groans and eye rolls from my colleagues for being the idiot who didn’t get it. I also added that if everyone just wanted to move on then I was happy to stay behind after the class had finished so he could go through it with me one more time. 


However, just as I said that, someone else piped up and said ‘’Yes could you go through that again please?’ As he explained it over again it became clear that NO ONE in the room had really understood what he’d first said!


Afterwards, many of them came up to me and thanked me for being the one to stick up my hand and ask for clarification as they felt too embarrassed to do it themselves and didn’t want to look stupid in front of their colleagues or the tutor himself.


On that day I learned that it's fear of embarrassment  that holds people back and from that moment on, I always pipe up if I don’t understand or feel completely out of my depth with something. 


One of my favourite phrases (I have a few!) is ‘and this is where my talent expires’ meaning that beyond this point I’m totally out of my comfort zone and I’ll need time to study and learn the thing that I need to do.  I like to call it ‘managing other’s expectations of me’ ?


So yes, it’s okay (and quite healthy)  to feel and to recognise that you're out of your depth but it’s how you deal with it that matters the most. Understand and note where there are gaps in your knowledge and take steps to fill in those gaps i.e. keep up with CPD and never stop learning! 

A few years ago I learnt a very valuable lesson.


I was on a training course (the subject of which escapes me at the moment) and after a very lengthy explanation of something important, the tutor asked if we’d understood what he’d said…


To be honest, it all sounded completely 'double-dutch' to me but looking around the room at my colleagues, who were all nodding as an indication that they knew what he was talking about, I felt a little ‘out of my depth’…


Now I could have just nodded along with my colleagues, kept quiet and hoped that all would become clear as we went on but something inside said ‘No…This is important. Ask him to clarify what he just said’ 


So I stuck up my hand and said ‘I’m sorry but could you explain that again for me as I didn’t understand’ fully expecting there to be groans and eye rolls from my colleagues for being the idiot who didn’t get it. I also added that if everyone just wanted to move on then I was happy to stay behind after the class had finished so he could go through it with me one more time. 


However, just as I said that, someone else piped up and said ‘’Yes could you go through that again please?’ As he explained it over again it became clear that NO ONE in the room had really understood what he’d first said!


Afterwards, many of them came up to me and thanked me for being the one to stick up my hand and ask for clarification as they felt too embarrassed to do it themselves and didn’t want to look stupid in front of their colleagues or the tutor himself.


On that day I learned that it's fear of embarrassment  that holds people back and from that moment on, I always pipe up if I don’t understand or feel completely out of my depth with something. 


One of my favourite phrases (I have a few!) is ‘and this is where my talent expires’ meaning that beyond this point I’m totally out of my comfort zone and I’ll need time to study and learn the thing that I need to do.  I like to call it ‘managing other’s expectations of me’ ?


So yes, it’s okay (and quite healthy)  to feel and to recognise that you're out of your depth but it’s how you deal with it that matters the most. Understand and note where there are gaps in your knowledge and take steps to fill in those gaps i.e. keep up with CPD and never stop learning!