Habit as a surrogate for competence

I've started a new writing contract. As always, there is a period of adjustment where one tries to be effective and efficient while having almost no understanding of How We Do Things Here. Stranded on a metaphorical island where the natives may be friendly (sometimes they're not) but you know you are in an unfamiliar culture, where mistakes can be dangerous to your health.

It reminded me - again - how much habit stands in for competence. Stay in one workplace long enough and regardless of your personal talents and skills, you'll be reasonably effective because you know how to get things done. When in fact you know best how to get things done here. In a new workplace, without habit and experience to guide us, we are - temporarily - all at sea.

Having done contract work several times, flying without a net doesn't unduly distress me, but it does bother me. It always comes as a slight surprise just how difficult it can be to feel crisp, professional and competent when you don't have basic stationary or know where to get some, let alone having the correct permissions on your desktop. There's something very humbling about having to ask the way back to the office when you come back from lunch.

So there you have it folks: familiarity breeds IQ.

This is post 64 of 100 posts in 100 days.
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