From Stage Fright to Embracing the Spotlight

Have You Ever Shared Knowledge at Work?

What motivates you to share knowledge at work?
Is it a genuine passion for teaching?
A recognition of gaps in the workplace?
Or maybe a nudge from a colleague?

For me, it started more simply than you’d expect.

I Was Scared But I Said Yes Anyway#

I’m the kind of person who gets nervous easily.

Even if I seem comfortable speaking in public, I know exactly how badly my body reacts on stage that my speech speeds up, my mind blanks, my hands and feet shake, and Q&A sessions are the worst.

Those physical reactions never went away, even though I’d had some experience giving speeches and hosting events in school.

So why did I start giving public knowledge-sharing sessions at work?

You might think it was because I have a growth mindset—someone who seeks challenges.
Honestly, I’m not sure that describes me. And it’s not the reason.

I said yes because V—our Sr. Staff Engineer—invited me.
At the time, it didn’t seem like there was much downside, so I agreed.

A few days later, panic set in: What did I just agree to?!

If I Was Going to Suffer, I Might as Well Make It Worthwhile#

What would you do in that situation?

• Bail?
• Pick an easy topic just to get through it?
• Or make the most of it?

I picked the third.

Since I’d already committed, I wanted the topic to pull double duty—fulfill my speaking slot and add value to my day-to-day work.

My First Talk#

That’s how my first session, Uncertainty Management, came about.

At the time, I’d just learned that PM ≠ PJM.

Without proper Project Management, I’d seen cross-functional teams misunderstand each other because of mismatched expectations and unfamiliar workflows.

That insight became the perfect bridge between something I cared about and a real organizational need.

Even with lots of prep, my delivery was messy. And yes, I was nervous.

But something shifted afterward.

A colleague stopped by to chat about how they manage uncertainty.
Later, I overheard others using the time–scope–resources triangle to frame risks.

For the first time, I felt:

Sharing isn’t just one-way knowledge transfer.
It’s planting a seed.

I Started Watching How Others Did It#

After joining more sessions, I began observing how others chose topics and built their talks.

Some sparked discussion.
Some introduced technologies the company hadn’t touched.
Some changed how people worked.

I realized these weren’t just presentations—they were mediums for transmitting culture.

So I began choosing topics more intentionally, aligning them with both my responsibilities and my vision for the team’s culture:

• DX optimization strategies
• Micro-frontend adoption and implementation
• What defines a senior engineer
• Tactical paths for frontend performance improvements

They weren’t just knowledge dumps—they were tools to explore how we could make the environment more supportive and sustainable.

I started experimenting:

• What framing influences decisions?
• What phrasing sparks resonance?

Culture Doesn’t Only Come from Policy#

Over time, I saw that sharing creates ripples.
Culture change doesn’t always need top-down policies.

Sometimes it starts with an idea being seen—
a conversation sparked, a perspective shared.

I was still nervous every time, but I began to enjoy it.
Because I could see how those ideas lived on—fueling conversations, influencing decisions, and quietly becoming part of how people worked.

That experience showed me:

Culture doesn’t have to be imposed through rules.
It can grow organically—through conversation, sharing, and the flow of ideas.

It was the first time I experienced cultural shaping—
not through authority, not through process—
but through one talk, one message, seeping into daily work.

Looking back, it was a turning point.

I stopped seeing myself as just someone who completed tasks.
I began asking:

“What kind of change can I bring to the team and the environment?”

That question became the foundation for my later work in engineering management and cultural practice.

Of course, I didn’t realize it back then.