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I used to think asking 'dumb' questions was a bad move in meetings
For years, I kept quiet in team calls if I didn't get something, figuring I'd look it up later. Last month, during a project kickoff for a new client portal, a manager used the term 'idempotent' about an API. I had no clue. Instead of staying silent, I just said, 'Can you explain that like I'm new here?' The lead dev gave a quick, clear answer, and two other people on the call thanked me after, saying they were lost too. It turned out the whole spec was built on that idea, so not asking would have wasted hours. Now I speak up way more. How do you guys handle it when a term or idea goes over your head in a work talk?
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kim.nina17d ago
Honestly, that "speak up way more" thing can backfire. Sometimes you really do just need to look it up later and not derail the meeting for everyone.
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phoenix_lewis17d ago
But a quiet meeting where no one asks questions is just a room full of people pretending to get it.
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Remember getting roasted once for asking what a "staging environment" was. Turns out the senior guy had set it up wrong, so my dumb question saved a huge mess later. Sometimes speaking up spots the real problems everyone else is too proud to mention.
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