One of the most important things I have learned over the years is to stay in my lane. In my professional life, I’ve encountered people trying to provide services in areas where they had little experience and/or knowledge. I’ve actually been in rooms where I was clearly in over my head and instead of listening, I tried to offer insight. Needless to say, I should have kept my mouth shut.
We have all been in situations where we wish we could have a redo. Maybe we were talking too much or maybe we dismissed ourselves from a potential learning experience. Regardless of the situation, if you find yourself amongst people, talking about something we either don’t know or have little knowledge of, let’s all do ourselves a favor and simply listen.
Recently, I was preparing to go to a cigar lounge with some friends. I decided to look at some YouTube videos to get a better understanding of the culture and so I wouldn’t look like a complete amateur. I stumbled upon an awesome video titled Understanding Cigars from The Modern Rogue. (By the way, they have an awesome channel, make sure you check it out.)
One of the things the cigar expert talked about was how bad it looked when people tried to portray themselves as cigar experts when they had no idea what they were talking about. From trying to smell the cigars through scent-proof wrappers to squeezing the cigars too hard and damaging them, it only shows they’re a greenhorn.
Conclusion
I am a talkative guy and I own that. One of my challenges has been knowing when and when not to speak. When I was younger, I wanted to prove that I belonged. Over the years I’ve learned that the coolest guys in the room don’t have to tell you what they know… it’s obvious.
If fashion is your thing, the public will acknowledge you as such. It may or may not be verbal, but you will be acknowledged. The same goes for anything else we are into, including our professional lives. If we want to be seen as experts in our fields, we must put in the time and the work. Talk is cheap but work speaks volumes.