Farouq ZaababResearcher, Coach, Trainer, Consultant| FreelancerSohar, Oman
Have you ever been in a situation where someone assumes you know what they know? so they keep throwing jargon at you and talk about stuff you just don't know. Well, this is the cognitive bias called "the curse of knowledge."
How do you feel about this?
How do you usually avoid falling into this trap yourself? Saving Changes...
Dinah YoungProject Manager / Software Asset Manager| Prince William CountySpringfield, Va, United States
Aug 15, 2018 8:04 AM
Replying to Steve Ratkaj
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A common problem for myself. I always assume others know what I know. In our realm acronyms are all too prevalent. You know your in trouble when even you or your colleagues forget what they mean.
It would be nice if everyone could just read your mind, but life does not work that way. :)
A couple of things in my career taught me the need to rephrase what I am saying for the audience to understand.
One was when I worked with a deaf man. I learned some basic signs to communicate with him. My limitations in sign language forced me to become more creative in explaining technical concepts.
Another similar experience is from working with people who are not proficient in English. You need to find words they understand to get your point across.
The acronym issue is a crazy one. My first contract was working with the Navy. I created an acronym dictionary just to be able to read through the statement of work. In any document you write, an acronym should be spelling out in the beginning. Then you can use it throughout the document. The same needs to be done when you are doing a presentation or having a discussion. Saving Changes...
Farouq ZaababResearcher, Coach, Trainer, Consultant| FreelancerSohar, Oman
Aug 15, 2018 6:54 AM
Replying to Drew Craig
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Ask questions. Not everyone knows everything. And often, we tend to live in our own world with an expectation others are in the know. Generally, not out of ill will, simply a judgment error.
That said....
There is a tendency to build up this facade to protect against fear - fear of others finding out you don't know. It's seemingly very prevalent in our culture now, having an expectation to know, and thought negatively on not alway's 'getting it'. This learned behavior starts young, in school, and being afraid when the teacher calls on you to know the answer, maybe having other students laugh. This teaches children to fake it and hope it passes.
Thanks, Andrew. You make a valid point about how prevalent fear of failure or fear of judgement is in our culture. Indeed, it leads to wasted learning opportunities. Saving Changes...
Gonzalo Jimenez YamasakiCo-founder - Body Language Trainer/Coach| Ready To Jump .ProCoquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
When I hear something I do not know, I have no problem in asking clarifying questions. When I notice the other person do not understand what I am talking about (by using Body Language) I ask if they need clarification. Saving Changes...
RAJESH K LProject Manager, PMP| Bharat Electronics, Bengaluru, IndiaBengaluru, Karnataka, India
Agree with Steve Saving Changes...
Wade HarshmanScrum Master| GDITIndianapolis, In, United States
I'm more guilty of being the person who assumes everyone already understands what I'm talking about... not just terms and acronyms, but business concepts and principles. I've made a lot of progress since identifying this as one of my weaknesses. Saving Changes...
I will them honestly and nicely:
"Pardon me, I am having difficulty in understanding the [topic], but intrigued by your knowledge. Could you briefly repeat so that I can jot down and research on it. Thanks for sharing the knowledge." Saving Changes...
RAJESH K LProject Manager, PMP| Bharat Electronics, Bengaluru, IndiaBengaluru, Karnataka, India
common issue for most of us. Right thinking and attitude can bring a significant change Saving Changes...
