So, I came across the name Katrina Christie and saw it linked with Northwestern. Didn’t know much before, honestly. My curiosity got the better of me, so I started digging around a bit, just casually browsing, you know?
Found some mentions of work related to, I guess, how people learn or communicate. It wasn’t like a super deep dive, more like skimming through some summaries or discussions online that mentioned her perspective, tied back to her time or work associated with Northwestern.
Trying it Out
One idea that kind of stuck with me was about breaking down complicated stuff. We all deal with that, right? Trying to explain something technical to someone who isn’t, or just getting a point across without causing confusion. Seemed simple enough on the surface.
So, I decided to give it a go in a real situation. I had this project thing I needed to explain to a colleague who was new to the team. Usually, I’d just info-dump, but this time I thought, okay, let’s try that ‘breaking it down’ thing I read about, maybe linked to that Christie person’s ideas from Northwestern.
- First, I tried to really pinpoint the absolute core message. What did they really need to know?
- Then, I attempted to use an analogy. Analogies are tricky, mine wasn’t great at first.
- I consciously paused more, asking things like “does that make sense so far?” instead of just rambling on.
What Happened
It felt awkward, gotta be honest. Much slower than my usual way. My brain kept wanting to jump ahead and just spit everything out. It took real effort to stick to the simpler steps. The first try was messy. My colleague still looked a bit puzzled.
But I didn’t give up right away. I tried again later that day, refining the analogy a bit and focusing only on the pausing and checking part. That seemed to help more. It wasn’t perfect, but I could see the lightbulb go on a bit brighter this time. Less of that glazed-over look, you know?
The main thing I learned? Reading about a technique is one thing, actually doing it consistently is another ball game. It takes practice. Just because something sounds simple, like an idea maybe researched or discussed at a place like Northwestern by someone like Katrina Christie, doesn’t mean it’s easy to implement right off the bat. It’s about building that muscle. It was a good reminder to actually practice the things you learn, not just nod along.
