And then, you’ll have to waste everyone’s time starting from scratch. More likely, someone will eventually catch onto the fact that you don’t know what you’re doing and call you out on it. Simply putting on a confident face while doing an unfamiliar task won’t actually give you the ability to successfully complete that task.
In situations in which you truly don’t know how to do something, when it comes down to basic knowledge of a task or responsibility, feigning expertise isn’t going to help you.
As a first-time manager, I remember being asked to fire an employee for the very first time-and had absolutely no idea of where to even start. Or, you’re tasked with running an ad campaign from start to finish, when you really only have experience with one specific component. On the other hand, you’ll also be given responsibilities that you don’t know how to handle-down to the very core.įor example, maybe you’re asked to develop a budget forecast for the next quarter, but have zero financial experience. Putting on a brave face will not only help you get through it, it will give you genuine confidence for the next time you’re in this situation.
You have all the knowledge you need, so feigning a little courage won’t do you any harm. These are situations in which you have full permission to fake it ’til you make it. Or, like me, you may have read every article out there about the ins and outs of leading meetings but are nervous about commanding a room full of your employees. You may be familiar with the material for a presentation, for instance, but simply don’t love the idea of speaking in front of a group of people. In almost every professional role you’re in-at least, until you have several years of experience under your belt-you’re going to be tasked with responsibilities that will push you out of your comfort zone.įor example, you may be asked to give a training presentation to new hires, to speak up in front of a panel of executives when you have an idea, or, in my case, to lead weekly meetings with your employees.Īnd while you may very well know how to do these things in theory, you may not feel confident doing them.
Put on a confident façade as you learn your way around-and eventually, you won’t have to fake it anymore.īut is it advice that you can effectively use in your career? Not always.Īfter being put in a number of professional situations in which I had no idea what I was doing, I’ve determined a simple rule for determining when it’s beneficial to fake it-and when it’s best to admit your weakness.
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