Asking good questions ...

Yesterday, we discussed some of the critical skills required in the modern workplace.  For me, the #1 skill is the ability, and the mindset, to figure things out.  This is especially true in computing and internet technology, where the landscape can shift, change, and evolve very rapidly.

There are some core skills you can work on in this area!  The first is just getting comfortable with the fact that you don't know.  You don't.  But you will.  Let yourself shift from feeling like you need to be an expert, and especially from concern that you don't know, to being a learner who can very quickly find, understand, and then apply new information.

There are a couple of related skills that really help with this.  The first is asking good questions in your internet searches..  You can find out most anything once you know how to ask for just what you need.  I've included some links and help below.

The second is taking risks based on understanding a goal, and making your best effort to work towards a good solution.  It helps to check in with peers & supervisors (often) along the way to verify your assumptions & direction.  Don't just wing it and present a final product that could be way off the mark; take a stab at the goal & direction, validate it, and show your work along the way!

LearnFree has some nice self-paced courses on Internet searching and getting things done:

• Search Better
• Using the Web to Get Stuff Done 

Finally, here's an infographic on effective Google search techniques, written for students, but generally handy ...