Over the weekend, a friend and I had a casual conversation about our careers. Nothing new. In fact, it’s a conversation that I can always rely on us having, but this time it was different. He said something that 1) made me remember why I enjoy these conversations and 2) sparked my thinking for this week’s entry.

“If you’re the smartest person in the room, then you’re in the wrong room”.

Painting the picture:

Imagine it’s a typical Tuesday at work and you’re in a meeting with peers, but also colleagues who outrank you in both experience and job title. Let’s also assume that within your field these are the same people whose opinion you respect and likely the individuals who can influence your upward growth within the company. Naturally what do you try to do? The answer: impress them – collectively with intellect, performance, and wit.

This quote made me think about how I would act in the same scenario and how I could best take advantage of the opportunity. It starts with “the chase”.

The whistle has blown and the sprint begins. “The chase” represents the action of seizing an opportunity of being around seasoned professionals by accelerating your learning through asking questions. The meaningful, rich, and sometimes hard questions to ask.

Asking for answers to what you don’t know is sometimes embarrassing, especially when you’re battling the thought of whether or not you should already know the material. Who cares? Ask anyway. It’s okay to be lost in conversation as long as you have a plan to find your way.

The reasoning is simple. If you aren’t asking questions, then you aren’t learning. If you aren’t learning, then you aren’t developing. If you aren’t developing, then… what are you even doing? Decide if you’re in or out and become an advocate for your own success.

There is a time and place to sit in silence and nod, but remember that by doing so people assume you understand. When you catch yourself thinking “huh?”, then be bold and speak up or be prepared to take research into you own hands on your own time. Never forget that knowledge is always a competitive edge.

-JO