Hi Friend
Welcome to your weekly dose of personal and career fuel
There is a family of phrases I hear constantly in coaching sessions. Smart people use them. Senior people use them. I used them myself for years.
I don't disagree.
That's an interesting perspective.
We should probably explore this further.
Each one sounds thoughtful. Each one is an exit.
The people two levels above you are not evaluating your content in those moments. They are evaluating your conviction. And what they hear when you hedge is simple.
Not ready.
Not because you lack the knowledge. Because you lack the willingness to be wrong out loud.
Here is what is actually happening.
You have a view. You are not sure it will land. So you say something that sounds like a contribution while committing to nothing.
It works. Until it does not.
At a certain level the ability to take a position is not optional. It is the job. And the professional who perfected the art of the thoughtful non-answer finds themselves invisible exactly when they most need to be seen.
