Coffee break: Are you scared of asking questions at work
You start fidgeting in your seat, take another sip of your coffee, as you try and work up the courage to raise your voice. Ok now, ok maybe not, after that part, or after this one… And before you know it, Anna with the loud laugh, managed to…ask the same question right before the meeting ends.
As you ponder whether you should walk over to her and ask for your question back, or if extra chocolate is warranted in this case, the real question is: Are you scared to ask questions at work? Are you unsure about yourself and doubting your questions are valuable? Or are you just afraid of looking stupid?
My $0.05: There are no stupid questions. As basic as it may sound, I’ve found this to be true at many levels. You don’t know what you don’t know, and in order to do your best work, you must have accurate information.
Besides, asking questions shows you have an inquisitive mind. The brightest leaders ask some of the most pertinent questions of their teams and organizations to extract the information they need to make impactful decisions.
Ask questions that you truly need the answer for, or think could be beneficial to others. Steer clear from “smartie pants” questions just aimed at making you look good ( I’ve had a few of those backfire at me).
The question you may be afraid of asking may be the one on most people’s minds…
Are you or have you, at some point, been too scared to ask questions at work? What have you done about it?
To your success,
The Corporate Sis.
