Give it five minutes
There’s also a difference between asking questions and pushing back. Pushing back means you already think you know. Asking questions means you want to know. Ask more questions.
(Via Signal vs. Noise)
This reminds me of Marshall Goldsmith’s What Got You Here Won’t Get You There. In that (required reading!) book, Goldsmith explains, among other things, that you don’t always have to be right, or be the smartest in the room. That is a tough but valuable lesson for geeks to learn.
I’ve learned, for example, that when somebody sends me a link to a story I already know about or a tool I already use, I don’t have to demonstrate my geek cred by responding, “Yeah, I read that yesterday” or “Yeah, I’ve used that tool for awhile now, but Tool X is way better.” Instead, I thank the people and ask them their impressions. I find that, not only do I feel better, but that I get more unsolicited information on tools and stories that I didn’t know about. I’m not diminishing myself by not claiming prior knowledge; instead, I learn more and I have better relationships.
I work daily with some of the very brightest people this planet offers. I can certainly afford to listen more, ask more questions, and learn from other people’s ideas.