Tried saying 'I don't know' in a meeting instead of faking it, felt way better

We were going over a project timeline last Tuesday and the boss asked me a question about some vendor data I hadn't checked yet. Normally I'd just make something up or dance around it, but this time I just said 'I don't have that answer right now but I'll find out by noon.' Everyone just nodded and moved on, nobody cared. It saved me from that knot in my stomach of trying to fake an answer. Has anyone else just admitted they didn't know something at work and it worked out fine?

3 comments

3 Comments

christopher_sullivan1mo ago

Honestly, same thing happened to me and it was such a relief.

wyattrobinson1mo ago

Funny how we never talk about the feeling of being let down by something you were supposed to enjoy. Sometimes the expectation is heavier than the actual experience.

oscarb771mo ago

Same here @christopher_sullivan. What helped me was just admitting out loud that I didn't like the thing everyone said I should. Once I stopped trying to force it, the whole experience got a lot lighter.