10 and so much more...I agree and...
When I started in IT (then Data Processing) I was lucky enough to be mentored by some very serious engineers and Doctors that dealt with hard science. It was magic of a sort; I had no idea what they were talking about and they didn't know what I was talking about until a fresh, ego-less learning environment happened. An open mind-meld if you will.
We taught each other starting at a rudimentary level and quickly accelerated to a scientific blend of IT/DP and hard science knowledge. These users were rocket scientists, physics doctors, mathemeticians, human factors scientists, fuel scientists, structural and electrical engineers.
I've been very lucky in my career to interface with some of the smartest people on Earth by realizing "we don't know what we don't know" and then applying a collaborative spin on the problem at hand by using formula of "consider this". Using "consider this" means that there are no ego's, no stupid ideas and no arrogance. You check that **** at the door.
We were working on very sophisticated weapons that kill people and we held onto that thought by realizing that we're going to put this in the hands of a soldier and it better work or there would be no home-coming for that soldier.
Sure, serious stuff. I later went from building killing machines to building living machines by getting into medical/clinical systems. Building killing machines can really take a mental toll on you after a while once it sinks of what you were doing for a living.
I've been working with the top Doctors and Clinicians all over the world for the last 15 years and have learned so much about the human machine that I never thought of because of being a computer weenie. Having to help come up with solutions on both sides enabled me to use almost every computer language and hardware ever produced. Now I think that was cool...and still is.
Along the way I've built up a cadre of friends that were co-workers that are each in their own right the very smartest in their field. In short we've all learned probably something that we would have never learned without this process.
Doctors and scientists will "let you in the club" once they realize that you are very smart in what you know and do and since they are hypothesis makers (continious learners) that lead to a scientific breakthru...they GET IT. Right here is where work turns into learning by play.
Each of us have SO much to learn from each other but our human-side most often hinders our learning and progress.
Peace out ~dr.phil
