“I don't know yet” is sometimes a very good answer

I think we have a strange relationship with not knowing in business.

Not knowing can look weak. Leaders are supposed to have a vision. Consultants are supposed to have expertise. Everyone should arrive at the meeting with a point of view.

And yes, endless uncertainty is useless. At some point somebody has to decide something.

But I think there is a world of difference between saying “I don't know” and shrugging, and saying, “I don't know yet, but I know what we need to find out.”

The second one is actually quite disciplined.

Do customers think the price is too high? I don't know yet. Let's understand how they perceive the value and test it.

Is the brand losing relevance with younger consumers? I don't know yet. Let's see whether awareness, need, perception or something else is driving the gap.

Should we enter this market? I don't know yet. Here are the assumptions the decision currently depends on.

I trust that more than somebody manufacturing certainty because uncertainty feels uncomfortable.

Perhaps this is also why I like research so much. It gives you permission to turn uncertainty into questions rather than opinions.

You don't need to know everything.

You need to know what matters enough to find out.