I moved on to chapter 4 for this post and wanted to start with the first problem for it, Be the Worst. The problem is here when you learned all you can about a certain skill or skillset and cannot grow any more at your current position, with the solution to this problem being to move on to another position and group where you are the worst at what is being worked on. That way, you will have plenty of room to grow and you have help for when you make mistakes. It’s a case of starting from the bottom and working your way to the top. I can see how effective this can be and it has been successful for others, but I also agree with the possible risks that may come from this tactic, such as bringing the team down, not catching up, and possible self esteem issues. It can lead to problems not just for you, but for your team. However, you can deal with these risks by joining teams that are open to this mindset, and/or checking in with the team on your progress to make sure you are not falling behind.
Some people prefer working with others and can improve faster than they would if they were alone. I usually work with other people that I have similar skill levels with, so I don’t have that many examples of teams that I have been in where I or someone else was the “worst”. I do have examples where I was having some trouble and was worried about falling behind, and I would talk with the other members for tips or to get help on what I was working on. However, I do usually try to figure things out on my own because I sometimes think I may be bothering my teammates. This has led to some issues where I came close to falling behind, but I was able to deal with it before it became a problem.
Collaborating with others is a very effective way at working and improving yourself, and the idea of being the worst in a group and working your way up over time is a successful path, but does come with risks that you will need to be able handle.
From the blog Jeffery Neal's Blog by jneal44 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.