Are you starting a new job soon? Congratulations! If you want to get the most out of the transition make sure you don’t…
Avoid stupid questions
We’ve all asked them before right? “Er, where’s the loo?” or “How do you open the gates using your pass?” It’s never a nice feeling, but it’s absolutely key to your success.
For the first few days, weeks or months you have a unique opportunity where nobody is expecting much from you. In this period people don’t mind stupid questions. Fast-forward a year – asking stupid questions goes down less well.
This is your chance to question what you see and hear, and get honest and open answers from all around you. Ask anything you like, anything you’re curious about – but make sure you note the answer down. Stupid questions are not stupid questions the second time round, just annoying questions.
The best way to ask a stupid question is to start the sentence with something like “Can I ask you a stupid question?” People can’t really say no to this, and then you’ve set their expectations.
By asking stupid questions you appear keen to learn and modest enough to admit you don’t know everything – great characteristics that I look for in my team. What’s the most stupid question you’ve ever asked at work?