I DON’T KNOW
True story- I was once in a work meeting on a critical legal matter. The other participants were senior colleagues of mine on the legal team- people I deeply admire and respect. This particular matter was one of first impression for me, so I was listening extra hard to learn as much as I could from our discussion on the best course of action. That’s when it happened- one of my esteemed colleagues used a word I had never heard before- “preternatural”. She used it in a question to me and I was struggling to answer because I was stuck on trying to figure out what she was actually asking me. I paused for a second and considered feigning understanding to give an answer I hoped was on point, but quickly decided against that course of action. Instead, I simply said -”Before I answer, can you tell me what ‘preternatural’ means because I’ve never heard it before and I want to make sure I fully understand your question.” As soon as I said that a funny thing happened. Two of my other colleagues chimed in and said they were so glad I asked because they didn’t know either. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little embarrassed to admit I didn’t know something, but in the end my honest admission emboldened others to do the same and, most importantly, it helped me reach my goal of learning and understanding.
I think phrases like “I don’t know” and “I don’t understand” are some of the most underused in business today, especially at the most senior levels. It is as if we have been brainwashed into thinking that being smart and accomplished is equivalent to knowing EVERYTHING and that we should be ashamed of not knowing ANYTHING. In reality there are many things that even the brightest among us do not know and the power in diverse teams lies in having varied perspectives, experiences and backgrounds to enhance critical thinking and decision making. In addition to gaining immediate knowledge and clarity, admitting that you don’t know something at work will undoubtedly accomplish 3 things. First, it displays a sense of humility that is sorely lacking in most senior leadership regimes. Second, it encourages other team members to speak up when they are confused which yields better results and outcomes. Lastly, it helps you verbalize and identify areas where you can grow and focus your professional development efforts and resources.
When was the last time you said “I don’t know” in the workplace?