By I have never been a fan of business disciplines. I’ve always viewed them as a waste of time and effort. One example is, “Don’t ever write your resume.” Don’t start a small business. Don’t do business. Don’t even start social media.
But for some companies, it is actually important to be able to work with others in order to succeed in the long-term. For example, if you are a contractor, you are likely to be a subcontractor. This means you will probably need to work with other contractors on a regular basis in order to make your own income. This is what makes it so cool about doing business with others.
So, a lot of business is about relationships, and in networking there is a discipline called “business disciplines”. This discipline means that people can’t just talk to each other about things they already know (or think they know) and expect them to be able to discuss and work together. For example, if you’re a designer and your boss has never seen your work before and you are working on something he is really excited about, you should definitely discuss it with him first.
This discipline is extremely important in terms of business. If you have a good business with your boss, he is likely to be very attentive to how you are developing your skills, and if you are developing skills that are valuable to him, he will likely ask for more and more information. You should never, however, be afraid to ask questions. A lot of people might think that because you are a designer, you shouldnt ask questions. This is not true.
This is the idea behind asking questions. People may think that designers are only concerned about visual aesthetics with regard to their work, but this is where the real skills come from. It is also the reason why you should start by talking to your boss and asking questions about how he thinks.
You can always ask. You can always get more information. This is part of the reason why you should always start by talking to your boss. If you cant get into a discussion about what your job entails, talk to your boss. You will be surprised at what you learn.
Here’s a great piece by Peter Suber with a great example of how to get into an open discussion with your boss.
As a matter of fact, business disciplines are the opposite of self-awareness. They are the thing that can be learned by talking to your boss and asking questions. You can learn business disciplines by talking to your boss and asking questions. By asking questions you will be able to tell him what your job entails and why he does what he does. This way he can tell you he’s a hard worker and it will be more effective if you can see that.
You may be saying to yourself, “Hey, that sounds nice. But I’m really not good at talking to my boss.” But you need to get in the habit of it. It’s not the easiest thing, but learning it will make your job experience much better.
The best, and easiest, way to learn is by actually doing it. The best (for most) way to learn is by doing it. It’s the fastest way to get your brain to start thinking. You may get a “clunky” way of doing it, or a “fun” way, or a “too-hard” way. Whatever it is, I promise that if you do it, you will be better at it.
