3 Smartest Ways to Say: I Do Not Know

Fast Company recently interviewed the founders of Thinx (and two of our 100 Disruptive Heroes, Miki Agrawal and Radha Agrawal) for their views on the smart way to say "I don't know."  



They shared the first of three crucial things to do as part of the smart way...



1. "I'll get back to you on that."

Too many of us (or our bosses who are too afraid of looking bad), over-prepare for every possible question we might get asked. Get over that! Saying "I'll get back to you" and doing so quickly is an opportunity to show multiple best practices — listening, learning, accountability, reliability and more.



The other two are...

2. Explore, Seek Out Innovations

You're not just reporting back to others and covering your ass...You're exploring something you hadn't yet thought about. More than likely, somewhere within your search, there's a Nugget you hadn't seen, a Next Big Idea that's waiting to be unearthed. 



3. Study the Questioner's Thinking for Next Time

Not the actual question they asked, but during the meeting and afterwards, seek to understand what's BEHIND their question. Usually, there are patterns of needs behind every question that can be applied to help you prepare for all future opportunities.  



Master these three and you will be amazed by how far you can go on not knowing!