Whilst it's important to admit that you don't understand, senior people can use "I don't understand" as a way to ensure that everybody understands. If you're s

Whilst it's important to admit that you don't understand, senior people can use "I don't understand" as a way to ensure that everybody understands. If you're senior and you say that you don't understand then you're opening the gate for everyone to discuss the issue in more detail; no junior workmates will feel dumb - even the senior guy doesn't understand it! And chances are that the deeper discussion will unearth something I didn't fuly appreciate, even if I wouldn't have called "I don't understand" for other people's benefit.