Significant Career Lesson From a Learning Manager for Slack at Salesforce
Halimah's most significant career lesson is the power of saying "I don't know," building trust by acknowledging limitations and actively seeking answers, rather than fabricating them. This approach fosters collaboration, allows for continuous learning, and ultimately strengthens their ability to support the company as a whole, since their role is "not to know everything, it's just to know part of it and know who to ask for help."
Communication, Problem-Solving, Teamwork, Leadership, Learning Agility
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Halimah Jones
Learning Manager, Slack Global Onboarding
Salesforce
Northwestern University, 2016
N/A
Psychology
Technology
Human Resources (HR)
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. It's okay to say 'I don't know': Halimah emphasizes the importance of admitting when you lack knowledge. This builds trust and opens opportunities to learn from others and build relationships.
2. Embrace continuous learning: The workplace is constantly evolving, so adaptability is key. Halimah highlights that even when reapplying knowledge, contexts shift, requiring ongoing learning and relationship building.
3. Focus on knowing who to ask: Instead of striving to know everything, Halimah suggests focusing on identifying the right resources and people to collaborate with. This approach allows for effective problem-solving and teamwork.
Transcript
What's one lesson you've learned that has proven significant in your career?
The biggest lesson I've learned is that I don't have to know everything. Saying "I don't know" is a very powerful phrase.
When I started working, I realized that people are just kind of making things up. We're all creating new things all the time because none of this has happened before. Even when reapplying something, the context, world, technology, and people are different. You're still creating new things.
Once you realize everyone is kind of making it up, it gives you more grace to say to yourself and to others, "I don't know." Admitting you don't know something builds trust with people. They know you won't just make up an answer.
So, in meetings, if someone asks me a question and I don't know the answer, I'll say, "I don't know. Let me find out." I'll suggest who might know or say I'll ask them and get back to you.
When you follow up, it shows you're invested in them knowing the answer. It's also beneficial for you, as you learn what questions people have and realize you might need to build relationships with certain teams to better support the company.
This has given me a lot of grace for myself. I don't go into meetings expecting to know everything about onboarding or learning and development, because that's not my job. My job is to know a part of it and know who to ask for help with the rest.