Do not be afraid of saying I DON'T KNOW
Project Management
Skills
Transparency
Communication
Decision Making
Professionalism
Do not be afraid of saying I DON'T KNOW
Project Management
Skills
Transparency
Communication
Decision Making
Professionalism
Every professional decision is built upon a foundation of information, yet many of us risk collapsing that structure by substituting facts with certainty bias. When asked a question, an uncertain "yes" or "no" guarantees only a 50% chance of being correct, turning critical business judgment into a coin flip. In contrast, stating, "I don't know" is 100% correct, providing the stakeholder with the crucial context needed to manage risk effectively. Stop jeopardizing major projects for the sake of image; learn how to leverage absolute honesty to maintain trust and enable optimal decision-making.
If someone asks you a question which you do not know the answer for, the truth is not a sign of your incompetency.
It shows you are willing to show transparency and trust the asking party with a real, proper answer.
When answering any question that your colleague remember, that based on the answer the decisions are made. Answering "yes" or "no" if you do not have certainty by definition makes the information incorrect. Therefore if the message you pass and based on which a decision is made is, or might be wrong (since in the yes/no situation you have 50% of chances of providing correct information), the decision made will have at least same chance of correctness as your answer.
At the same time the "I don't know" is 100% correct, and based on that the decision will have much more chance to be success. The person that asks you for consultancy can take under consideration that the information he/she is seeking for is not available - and based on that the correct course of action can be taken.
Still if the question lays within your area of expertise and you still cannot answer it, you might feel that not answering will be a sign of incompetency. How to avoid that?
Provide a structured plan or a tangiable information on how and when will you be able to still get the information that is needed:
- Prolong answering by saying "I will get back to you on this by..." - and do it like promised. Even if you fail to get all the data needed by promised deadline - always come back and describe the challenges or reasons for that, as well as set a new deadline. Informing you will not be able to match the deadline as early as you know it will be helpful, since necessary mitigating actions can be done earlier.
- Inform about potential constraints by saying "The information will be available after A, B and C has happened". Here you can also ask for advise or help how to make these things moving on.
- If the information is not going to be available within forseen time or constraints - try to assess the level of certainty around "yes" or "no", e.g. "yes" will happen with the likeliness of 75% and "no" with the likeliness of 25%... Therefore the asking party can take that under consideration and properly manage the risks related to the fact the information will be wrong or inaccurate.
Always remember to pass the correct information.
Passing incorrect one might save your image, but this is for sure a very short run strategy. At the end this fact will float and the potential consequences might be much higher then if you said you are not sure or even do not have the information at the very beginning. Based on your input other people are doing their job and unless you want them to fail, help them to do that job in a best possible way.
Wojciech Zieliński
Strategic Technology, Delivery & Transformation Architect
Seasoned technology executive and transformation leader dedicated to bridging the gap between high-level business strategy and complex engineering execution. Specialized in stabilizing volatile IT environments, scaling agile delivery across international borders, and mentoring the next generation of technology leaders. Whether acting as a Fractional CTO or an Interim Program Director, establishes the operational discipline and strategic oversight needed to drive predictable, high-value outcomes in the most demanding industries.
Wojciech Zieliński
•
Aug 28, 2025
Every professional decision is built upon a foundation of information, yet many of us risk collapsing that structure by substituting facts with certainty bias. When asked a question, an uncertain "yes" or "no" guarantees only a 50% chance of being correct, turning critical business judgment into a coin flip. In contrast, stating, "I don't know" is 100% correct, providing the stakeholder with the crucial context needed to manage risk effectively. Stop jeopardizing major projects for the sake of image; learn how to leverage absolute honesty to maintain trust and enable optimal decision-making.
If someone asks you a question which you do not know the answer for, the truth is not a sign of your incompetency.
It shows you are willing to show transparency and trust the asking party with a real, proper answer.
When answering any question that your colleague remember, that based on the answer the decisions are made. Answering "yes" or "no" if you do not have certainty by definition makes the information incorrect. Therefore if the message you pass and based on which a decision is made is, or might be wrong (since in the yes/no situation you have 50% of chances of providing correct information), the decision made will have at least same chance of correctness as your answer.
At the same time the "I don't know" is 100% correct, and based on that the decision will have much more chance to be success. The person that asks you for consultancy can take under consideration that the information he/she is seeking for is not available - and based on that the correct course of action can be taken.
Still if the question lays within your area of expertise and you still cannot answer it, you might feel that not answering will be a sign of incompetency. How to avoid that?
Provide a structured plan or a tangiable information on how and when will you be able to still get the information that is needed:
- Prolong answering by saying "I will get back to you on this by..." - and do it like promised. Even if you fail to get all the data needed by promised deadline - always come back and describe the challenges or reasons for that, as well as set a new deadline. Informing you will not be able to match the deadline as early as you know it will be helpful, since necessary mitigating actions can be done earlier.
- Inform about potential constraints by saying "The information will be available after A, B and C has happened". Here you can also ask for advise or help how to make these things moving on.
- If the information is not going to be available within forseen time or constraints - try to assess the level of certainty around "yes" or "no", e.g. "yes" will happen with the likeliness of 75% and "no" with the likeliness of 25%... Therefore the asking party can take that under consideration and properly manage the risks related to the fact the information will be wrong or inaccurate.
Always remember to pass the correct information.
Passing incorrect one might save your image, but this is for sure a very short run strategy. At the end this fact will float and the potential consequences might be much higher then if you said you are not sure or even do not have the information at the very beginning. Based on your input other people are doing their job and unless you want them to fail, help them to do that job in a best possible way.
Wojciech Zieliński
Strategic Technology, Delivery & Transformation Architect
Seasoned technology executive and transformation leader dedicated to bridging the gap between high-level business strategy and complex engineering execution. Specialized in stabilizing volatile IT environments, scaling agile delivery across international borders, and mentoring the next generation of technology leaders. Whether acting as a Fractional CTO or an Interim Program Director, establishes the operational discipline and strategic oversight needed to drive predictable, high-value outcomes in the most demanding industries.