It may not be a popular answer, but it’s honest
In business and everyday life, there is a phenomenon that occurs frequently with endless repercussions. It is simply the notion that those who are in charge are expected to know everything. The child asking the parent, the employee asking the boss, the misguided driver asking the policeman, the shopper asking the store manager—all these folks are expected to provide the answers.
Because we have created this expectation, the person in the supervisory role imposes undue pressure upon himself. “I need to know. I better know, or I’ll look like I should not be in charge here.”
As a project coordinator, I ask plenty of questions. Every now and then, I sense that the people who are answering my questions may be bluffing, exaggerating, or even lying. They’re normally not trying to be deceitful; they’re just working to maintain my confidence in them. I understand that.
The people I appreciate most, though, are the ones who say, “You know, Ronnie, I’m just not sure. I’ll get your question answered, but at the moment, I just don’t know.”
