HBR Women at Work Boxed Set (6 Books)

8

Stop Second-Guessing Yourself

by Tucci Ivowi

Once I was in a large auditorium filled with marketing and sales professionals for a training program on the fundamentals of the coffee business. I was a brand manager in a company I had just joined. During the training, someone asked, “What’s the difference between soluble coffee and roast and ground coffee?”

It was a simple question. I knew the answer. But I still refrained from raising my hand: What if I was wrong? What if I wound up looking stupid? It was my first day on the job as a new recruit. It’s probably best for someone with more experience to respond, I thought. I didn’t say anything, and someone else used the opportunity to speak up.

Turns out, I had the right answer.

This wasn’t a ...