The line between average and exceptional work performance is
dotted with ordinary day-by-day behaviors. I was reminded of that line
recently. My husband was explaining to a nurse how he'd inadvertently taken
the last dose of the live typhoid virus on the wrong day and wondered if he
needed to retake the sequence prior to our Africa trip. "No," she
commented, "I think you'll be fine." We both knew she was guessing.
While rolling down my sleeve from the next set of immunizations, a
different nurse poked her head into the room. "I overheard your
conversation at the desk." she said to Dan. "We've never had that
situation, so I thought it best to call the drug manufacturer for advice.
Turns out you need to retake the entire dosage." We were grateful she took
the extra step.
It's not possible to know all the answers to all the questions you'll get
tossed in the workplace. But, be willing to say when you don't. That's
better than giving out misinformation or guessing at an answer without
making it clear it's a guess. People who are winning at working add four
words - "but I'll find out." And they do find out and get back to the
person. That extra step differentiates their performance in the workplace.
Jeff was already in the department when I was hired to manage it. "I don't
know" was his typical response when queried beyond the surface status
reports of his projects. At first, I expected Jeff to automatically find
out the answers to my questions and inform me, his new boss. But he never
did. Jeff managed to train me to follow up to his "I don't know," with
"please find out and tell me."
Jeff worked for me for two years and at the time I moved on, I was still
asking him to find out. For Jeff and people like Jeff, "I don't know" is a
habitual way to reduce their task list. To them, "I don't know" ends it.
What they don't realize is what else it ends in the minds of their bosses,
clients or customers.
It baffles me that someone thinks saying "I don't know" suffices when it
involves their work responsibilities. It baffles me how frequently people
offer their best guesses like factual answers. And it baffles me, in my
twenty years in management, how surprisingly few people took the small step
to find out. Those who did stood out. They went from guessing to knowing.
Find out answers and you'll build knowledge that differentiates you.
Want to be winning at working? Stop guessing; start knowing. The next time
you find yourself venturing a guess on an important answer, pause. Then
reframe your response with, "I don't know for sure, but I'll find out for
you." Not only will you be adding to your knowledge base, but when you find
out and follow up with the person, you'll be building your credibility and
crossing an important performance line.
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