How to Ask Stupid Questions And Still Sound Smart - The Muse

How to Ask Stupid Questions And Still Sound Smart - The MuseHow to Ask Stupid Questions And Still Sound SmartTen months.Thats how long I evaded making coffee at my first corporate job. Until that point, Id been riding on the coffee-making coattails of my co-workers, making sure I was never the one who emptied the brde few drops from the industrial-sized carafe. Then, one day, the spout sputtered into my empty mug, and I had to suck it up and ask an embarrassingly easy question So, how do you brew a new pot of coffee? And no matter your level of experience, youre bound to encounter a similar situation at some point. Whether you never learned how to use a mainstream program, you dont quite understand something your co-workers can do effortlessly, or youve just entered a completely unfamiliar industry, youll have to ask some stupid questions, too. But while everyone will tell you theres no such thing as a stupid question, you still want to phrase your inquiries in a way that helps you c ome across as capable and confident. So if youve been holding back on your questions, read on for four ways to ask them in a smart, strategic way. Observe FirstSometimes, you can find out the answer to your question without asking verbally- but simply by observing.Take, for example, my coffee-making conundrum If Id lingered by the coffee station long enough, I could have covertly watched a co-worker make a new pot of coffee- and then reproduced the steps myself. OK, so maybe your questions arent quite as simple- but in the same vein, you might be able to find out what you need to know by digging a little. Not sure what your manager means when she asks you to create a dashboard in SalesForce? Google it. Even if you dont find the step-by-step instructions, youll at least gain the basic knowledge that youll be building a reporting tool- and that will give you a good start for asking your co-workers for more specifics. Start With What You Already KnowAssuming you do some prior research or clarify at least part the answer on your own, you should now have a vague idea of the specific information youre looking for. Maybe youre not sure how an entire website is coded, but you at least know that your company uses PHP- so use that to frame your question. Instead of asking a programmer Uh, whats all this gibberish? you can ask Im vaguely familiar with PHP, but could you explain the elements of the new site feature in laymans terms? Even if you take a guess that doesnt turn out to be entirely correct (So, SalesForce is a reporting tool?), youll still sound more prepared than if you stared with a blank stare and a helpless Whats SalesForce? When you lay the groundwork with even a little prior knowledge, youll make it easier for your target to explain to you exactly what you need to know- while avoiding the extraneous (obvious) details that arent truly necessary. Make a Solid SuggestionSometimes, questions can sound stupid simply because theyre far too broad- e.g., Whats th is? or What should I do?- which can make it seem like you didnt give it a second thought before you asked. So even if you know absolutely nothing about how to get started on a project your manager just assigned your first question shouldnt ever be How should I start? Instead, approach your question with a suggestion or idea youve already developed I thought I could start by pulling traffic data from a year ago and then comparing it to recent numbers. Do you agree, or is there a better starting place? Or, ask for something specific that will help you get to the bigger goal I need to contact all of our new clients from the past month- do we have a client directory that I can access? Even if your idea is completely off the mark, youll show that you actually put some thought into your question, and youll provide your co-worker or manager with a solid jumping-off point to provide you with a little more guidance. Ask With ConfidenceMost importantly, the key to asking stupid questions is t o avoid acknowledging that you think theyre stupid. When you phrase your question with the assumption that you should already know the answer (e.g., I know this is such a stupid question, but how do I upload a deutsche post dhl to WordPress?), you sound a lot less knowledgeable that if you would have just asked the question in a more straightforward manner (Can you walk me through uploading a blog post?). The truth is, most colleagues (the nice ones, at least) wont hesitate to help when you ask a simple question- even if it seems embarrassingly obvious to you. (Unless, of course, you keep asking the same question over and over- or its something that you could have easily found out with some quick research.) No matter how high you climb the ladder, youll never know everything. Thankfully, asking stupid questions wont cause the demise of your career. In fact, when you phrase them the right way, youll demonstrate that youre competent and- more importantly- not afraid to ask for whateve r you need to get the job done.