Why admitting you don’t know builds more trust
Managers often feel they need an answer for everything. But false certainty is easy to spot, and once people catch you guessing, they start doubting what you say next.
THE QUICK ANSWER
Pretending to have every answer can feel like confidence, but the first time your team catches you guessing, they begin to question everything else you tell them. The fix is to say it out loud, deliberately, the next time you don’t know something: “I don’t know — let me find out.” Get there before they catch you. Showing that not knowing is safe builds more trust than false certainty, as long as you actually follow up.
GO DEEPER
False certainty costs more than honesty
Many managers feel that being in charge means always having the answer. Saying “I don’t know” can seem like admitting you are not up to the role, especially if you are new or managing people with more experience. A confident guess feels safer in the moment.
Teams notice more than managers expect. When a confident answer turns out to be wrong, people do not just correct that one point; they start wondering which of your other answers were guesses too. Trust in what you say drops. Your team may also learn that pretending is the expected behaviour here, and start doing it themselves.
The fix is to say it first, on purpose: “I don’t know — let me find out.” Beating your team to it comes across as honesty rather than weakness, and it models that not knowing is safe. People are then more likely to admit their own gaps early, which is when problems are cheapest and easiest to fix.
The phrase only builds trust if it is followed through. If “let me find out” becomes a polite way of closing the topic and nothing comes back, it turns into another broken promise. Go back with the answer, or at least an update, so people learn your uncertainty is honest and your follow-up is reliable. It is for genuine gaps, not a substitute for knowing your own area.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Saying “I don’t know — let me find out” builds more trust than a confident guess, as long as you come back with the answer.
TEST YOURSELF
A team member asks their manager a question the manager cannot answer. What does the video recommend?
PRACTISE IT
Try this lesson in the arcade
Quick retro games that start with this lesson’s situations. One thumb, one to three minutes, free.
