In the early days of my career as a Technical Account Manager (TAM) at Acquia, I was neck-deep in support tickets. Each day brought a queue of issues demanding resolution, and like most people, I was tempted to gravitate toward the easier ones—the ones I could clear quickly, boost my metrics, and move on.
But then, my mentor, Sam Lerner, gave me a piece of advice that turned everything around:
“When there is a queue of tickets, pick the ones you wish would never be assigned to you.”
At first, it sounded counterintuitive. Why would I willingly dive into the most complex, time-consuming tickets? Shouldn’t I focus on optimizing my throughput? But as I started applying this advice, it became a game-changer—not just for my role at the time, but for my entire career.
In most ticket queues, the breakdown is predictable:
- 80% of tickets are repeat issues—solved by clearing caches, following an SOP, or applying routine fixes.
- 20% of tickets involve thorny, uncharted territory: In our case - tricky issues with Memcache, Apache Solr, ImageMagick, shady open-source Drupal modules, or quirky custom modules.
That 20%? That’s where the discomfort lives. And that’s exactly where I began to focus.
By picking the toughest tickets, I was signing up for:
- Lower metrics: Tricky tickets take longer to resolve, dragging down numbers on paper.
- A steep learning curve: I often didn’t know the systems or solutions well enough, and debugging was an uphill battle.
- Initial discomfort: The fear of “what if I can’t solve it?” loomed large.
But over time, a few remarkable things happened:
- Became familiar with the unfamiliar. Systems and tools that once intimidated me turned into strengths.
- Earned the reputation of being the go-to person for complex, unsolvable issues—the “last resort” with many of my peers.
- Built deep technical knowledge and problem-solving skills that set me apart from others chasing the low-hanging fruit.
This simple habit—choosing discomfort—was a career accelerator. It didn’t stop at handling support tickets. I carried it with me as I transitioned into solutioning, later leading professional services teams, and eventually running R&D/Engineering teams. Whether it was diving into an ambiguous client requirement, solving a technical challenge beyond my comfort zone, or leading initiatives no one else wanted, the principle remained the same.
The tasks you shy away from are often the ones that hold the key to your next level. By consistently choosing discomfort, you:
- Build rare and valuable skills.
- Gain confidence in tackling uncertainty.
- Earn trust and recognition as someone who solves the hardest problems.
Sam’s advice may have started with handling support tickets, but its impact has been profound and far-reaching. The next time you find yourself staring at a queue of tasks, projects, or opportunities, ask yourself:
Which one do I hope isn’t assigned to me?