Polish strengths

I was wondering what to write about this week. Since I haven’t been writing much technical content recently, I wanted to revisit this area, but I prefer to prepare thoroughly before writing something from scratch. So before I dive back into the tech world, I’ll write a bit about a soft topic.

Recently, I came across an opinion that we, as Poles, value consistency and reliability. I find it very true. Also, those two features, despite their drawbacks, are very positive when I think about them.

In short, it means that we do not commit to something that we won’t be able to deliver. Being consistent is helpful when working in a team. It is not easy to effectively cooperate with people who throw promises without being willing to hold on to them. Reliability plays a significant role in building trust within the team.

Although it is excellent not to overpromise and overcommit, there are downsides to this approach as well. We can appear unwilling to help. People who always say yes, even when they don’t plan to help, might seem nicer and more friendly. This might be fake, but in the short term, it can help to achieve some goals for the person doing that. By being realistic, we often can be seen as unhelpful. Another thing is that offering help doesn’t always mean someone will ask for it. So people who say yes, not meaning that, can get away with not helping and still be seen as helpful.

With all that said, I think it might help only in achieving short-term and shallow goals. I believe that to build valuable and meaningful relationships, we need to base them on trust and mutual respect that comes from consistency and reliability. So I’m delighted my nation is seen this way, and I’m glad I can build on that solid foundation that I got in my blood.