Dangerous Words

Too often I hear (and I myself am guilty of from time to time) associates using dangerous words like "probably" and "assume".

Did so-and-so verify the information? "I assume she does." A statement like that will be akin to committing suicide in a Board meeting. Did so-and-so confirm the location? "Probably. You know him. He double checks everything." Until he doesn't and you are left holding the bag.

Too often we assume that a job is being done and done according to the procedures established. We get bogged down in our day-to-day work, we trust those beneath us to do their jobs because they have earned that trust, and philosophically we oppose micro managing our team. Nevertheless there is a difference between avoiding micro managing and taking the temperature now and then. That is why any good manager and any good department ensures that it has excellent internal quality control and audit measures in place to ensure that mistakes, or a failure to follow procedures, is caught early to avoid bigger issues down the road.

No one is expected to perform perfectly. The correct answer is never "probably" or "I assume". The proper answer is, "I can't honestly say with 100% certainty, but I am absolutely going to find out and get back to you." Or, "yes, there are measures in place to ensure that the work is getting done properly, but I will check in the meantime just to be safe."

People fear saying, "I don't know" and that is a shame. Too often we create a business culture where not knowing something is frowned upon more so than honesty is appreciated.

If someone expects me to know every single thing going on in my department by every single one of my associates they are insane. I oversee a department that spans 9 campuses across 2 states with nearly 40 associates. I should hope to God I don't know every single thing they are doing. I hired them. They are very good at what they do. I trust them. If they should happen to screw up now and then, then so be it. I choose creativity and risk over inaction and so-called perfection.

But when asked if I know for certain if such-and-such is absolutely being done, I no longer say "probably" or "I assume so". If I don't know, I tell my boss that and promise him that I will find out and get right back to him just to be safe. 99% of the time he has the answer to his question in less than 24 hours from me. That breeds trust and helps me to avoid digging a bigger hole for myself by assuming something is being done that actually isn't. Beware of dangerous words.