6 ms·

> You must be willing to say "I don't know" does not sound like any manager i ever knew

by 5350-uiop-1130 4y ago

fortissimohn 4y ago
It may sound different, such as "That's a great question"
- 5350-uiop-1130 4y ago
  i haven't had the good luck to work with enlightened or humble people
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
- siquick 4y ago
  I worked for 5 years at an American company in Australia and I heard this multiple times per day from my US colleagues - my conclusion after heard it said to the most basic questions was that it’s mostly a filler phrase used to buy time while the respondent thinks up an answer.
  - xnorswap 4y ago
    It's a culture thing, I had a similar experience after the company I worked at was bought out by an American company. In any exchange with the US, any question asked was responded to with, "That's a great question!". It was probably just filler but definitely came across as incredibly patronising to our ears.
    - JohnFen 4y ago
      It's certainly filler, but it's usually meant to mean "I'm taking your question seriously, but I don't know the answer at this moment".
    - singleshot_ 4y ago
      Not super relevant but I’ve noticed recently that when I ask someone a question, they start their answer with the word “absolutely” even though the question was not a yes or no question. Is this a time-filler like “that’s a great question” for extreme people pleasers? Or just an agreeability signal? To me it makes the answerer seem overeager to share. It could just be regional culture.
  - InvaderFizz 4y ago
    Depends heavily on how it's said. If it's flat with no derivation from the previous sentences intonation, it is probably filler. If it intentionally stands out, it is probably not. Personally, I use the phrase often as a Senior IC in a way that makes it clear it t is not filler. I also use phrases such as, "Hell if I know, let's google it and find out together."
bratbag 4y ago
I hear it all the time. From ic's and managers. One of the signs of a healthy culture is that people are not afraid to acknowledge knowledge gaps.
watwut 4y ago
Yeah, if anything, managers bluff and pretend to know significantly more often then engineers. And those who don't, gets removed or are seen as less capable by those over them.
JohnFen 4y ago
Most managers I've worked with haven't been shy about saying this. It's usually followed by "...but try asking <x>" or "Let me find out and get back to you". To be honest, if anyone, in any role, never says "I don't know", I begin to question their abilities.

> You must be willing to say "I don't know" does not sound like any manager i ever knew

fortissimohn 4y ago

It may sound different, such as "That's a great question"

5350-uiop-1130 4y ago
i haven't had the good luck to work with enlightened or humble people
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
siquick 4y ago
I worked for 5 years at an American company in Australia and I heard this multiple times per day from my US colleagues - my conclusion after heard it said to the most basic questions was that it’s mostly a filler phrase used to buy time while the respondent thinks up an answer.
- xnorswap 4y ago
  It's a culture thing, I had a similar experience after the company I worked at was bought out by an American company. In any exchange with the US, any question asked was responded to with, "That's a great question!". It was probably just filler but definitely came across as incredibly patronising to our ears.
  - JohnFen 4y ago
    It's certainly filler, but it's usually meant to mean "I'm taking your question seriously, but I don't know the answer at this moment".
  - singleshot_ 4y ago
    Not super relevant but I’ve noticed recently that when I ask someone a question, they start their answer with the word “absolutely” even though the question was not a yes or no question. Is this a time-filler like “that’s a great question” for extreme people pleasers? Or just an agreeability signal? To me it makes the answerer seem overeager to share. It could just be regional culture.
- InvaderFizz 4y ago
  Depends heavily on how it's said. If it's flat with no derivation from the previous sentences intonation, it is probably filler. If it intentionally stands out, it is probably not. Personally, I use the phrase often as a Senior IC in a way that makes it clear it t is not filler. I also use phrases such as, "Hell if I know, let's google it and find out together."

bratbag 4y ago

I hear it all the time. From ic's and managers. One of the signs of a healthy culture is that people are not afraid to acknowledge knowledge gaps.

watwut 4y ago

Yeah, if anything, managers bluff and pretend to know significantly more often then engineers. And those who don't, gets removed or are seen as less capable by those over them.

JohnFen 4y ago

Most managers I've worked with haven't been shy about saying this. It's usually followed by "...but try asking <x>" or "Let me find out and get back to you". To be honest, if anyone, in any role, never says "I don't know", I begin to question their abilities.