• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Family Hearing and Balance Center

Family Hearing and Balance Center

Doctors of Audiology

  • Family & Cardinal Main Page
  • Contact our Audiologists
  • Meet Our Audiologists
  • Hearing Aid Videos
  • Hearing Aid Labs
    • Jabra Enhance Plus – Over The Counter Hearing Aids
    • Resound
    • Oticon
    • Signia
    • Widex
    • Noise & Swim Plugs
    • Phonak
    • Unitron
    • Starkey
    • Audiograms Explained
  • Tinnitus
    • Tinnitus affects quality of life
    • Counseling Tinnitus and Misophonia
    • Levo
    • Resound
    • Widex Zen
    • Neuromonics
    • OasisPro
  • Balance Testing
  • Cochlear Implant Mapping
  • CaptionCall Phone
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Sometimes “I Don’t Know” is the Correct Response: Dale Hansen

I was at my local banking institution, and I had cancelled the accounts that I was no longer using. When I checked my phone I was thinking that I would see one account, and there were two. Before I left the bank a week earlier, the teller assured me that all balances were moved and that I only had one account. It wasn’t the case. So back into the bank I went.

The next teller I talked with listened to my story, smiled, and pulled up my account again. She narrowed her eyes, leaned toward the computer screen, did some clicks with her mouse, and looked up at me and smiled. She turned the screen toward me and said, “Here, sir, is the answer.”

The account was showing closed. “Why is it still showing on the screen if it is closed?” I asked her.

She shrugged her shoulders, smiled, and said “I don’t know.”

She gave me an answer, but she didn’t have all the answers, and she was comfortable in communicating that fact. I was okay with that as well and that was something new for me. I am a get-to-the-answer kind of guy.  Why was I okay that this wasn’t in a neat little bow?

Because… even though she didn’t know all the answers, she did land me at a solution. The account was closed. There wouldn’t be any transactions. She included me. She didn’t just look at her screen, she turned it and showed me, and then pointed to closed.

Sometimes being honest that we don’t know, as professionals, is the correct response. We don’t know, but we are going to find a solution. Situations out of our control, people out of our control, technology not working like it is designed to work, having never run into this before, all can stop us in our tracks. But admitting that we don’t know, and that we are going to find a solution, can get all involved moving in a positive direction.

I have tried to answer questions I didn’t know the answer to. I had a social worker who ask me directions to an event once. I knew how I would get to the event, but I didn’t know the name of all the roads involved. I missed telling her one turn.

…and I got her lost.

She never was the same around me after that. If I could have a do-over, I would have admitted that I didn’t know, but I had someone who did. I had a dispatcher at the time who was a genius with maps and directions. (Sigh) If I just had the self awareness to do that.

I have always been a get-to-the-answer kind of guy. Today I have realized that in some cases, one needs to get-to-the-realization that they may not have the answer. But someone, or something does, and that can land in a solution.

Written by:
Rich
Published on:
June 27, 2018
Thoughts:
8 Comments

Categories: Miscellaneous, Philosophy, Slider, Uncategorized

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jen Subotnik

    June 27, 2018 at 5:03 pm

    Love this, honesty is always the key! Even if it means we have to humble ourselves sometimes!
    Thanks for sharing Dale!

    Log in to Reply
    • admin

      June 27, 2018 at 5:41 pm

      Thanks Jen

      Log in to Reply
  2. Kelly Workman

    June 27, 2018 at 5:04 pm

    Spot on! It can be a challenge to admit that we do not know something. We, as people, all want to help each other. But in moments that we simply don’t know, the important thing is to find a solution from someone who does to reach a positive outcome in the end for everyone.

    Log in to Reply
    • admin

      June 27, 2018 at 5:42 pm

      Thank you Dr. Workman. That means a lot.

      Log in to Reply
  3. Gail Reagan

    June 27, 2018 at 5:36 pm

    No one can know all the answers to everything, it’s just not possible. And sometimes we “don’t know” what direction to turn for help, we “don’t know” the correct questions to ask or the people to turn to. We can only try and do the best we can!

    Log in to Reply
    • admin

      June 27, 2018 at 5:42 pm

      Our best is our best.
      Can you believe I got that social worker lost??
      Boy was she mad.

      Log in to Reply
  4. Marie

    June 27, 2018 at 5:43 pm

    very nice.

    Log in to Reply
    • admin

      June 27, 2018 at 7:35 pm

      very marie

      Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Explore more

Previous Blogs

Footer

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Sign up to receive an email every time we post a new blog!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Contact Us

Akron  330-644-1932

Northfield  330-468-4288

Log in

  • No Surprise Act
  • Diversity Statement*Privacy Policy