Learn to admit when you don’t have the answer

We met with one of our biggest clients yesterday. It was a tough conversation because we talked about why something went wrong with their system. But we had done our homework. And because we approached the discussion with humility and professionalism the call went well.

Once the main topic had been dealt with I thought we would conclude the call. But apparently there was one more thing they wanted to discuss. I didn’t have all the background info and I was not the best person to answer questions on this additional topic.

I could feel the temptation to try to answer the client’s questions. To make a noble attempt to defend our reputation and assure them we are on top of everything. Maybe even make myself look good. But instead I said...

“You know honestly I’m not sure what happened there. I’m going to have to go find out from people who know more about it than me. We’ll come back to you on this”.

It made me think of this quote:

“I try to get rid of people who always confidently answer questions about which they don’t have any real knowledge.” - Charlie Munger

In business there is nothing worse than not being able to trust someone. One of the keys to true professional integrity is the ability to admit when you either don’t know or are unsure.