Newbie is a slang term for a newcomer or somebody inexperienced in any profession or activity. I am the newbie. I have worked at my company for a very long time, but have recently changed positions, so although I am not inexperienced in my profession, I still have a lot to learn, which is why I was looking forward to mingling with my new division members at some recent meetings.

My plan was to learn as much as I could from my peers, how do they do their job? What tools do they use? What do they enjoy about their work? What resources do they use? I got loads of new information to take back and put to use.

Although most of the information I received was positive and helpful, one comment sticks out in my mind. When asking one person about their job, they told me, “I haven’t gotten any development from my Manager”.  This made me think, ”What exactly is a Manager’s role in development, and why do some employees flourish, while others flounder?”

I started thinking about managers I have had in the past, both good and bad, and I came to the conclusion that development was something you do yourself…the best managers I had simply gave me the tools and resources I needed…the rest was up to me.

So, I have decided that “not being developed” is simply an excuse.  If there are tools and resources available, and an employee chooses not to use these tools or resources, then the lack of development falls back on them. But what do I know, I’m just a Newbie.

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