The Context
Over a 20 year career, I have sat in on quite a few meetings and noticed that when people answer a question, answers tend to fall on a spectrum. I call this spectrum the Authority/Accuracy Grid.
The Authority / Accuracy Grid
The grid works like this. Along the x-axis is accuracy, which measures how correct the answer is. The y-axis of this grid measures the authority of the answer, how well it is presented. Let’s explore the extremes of this grid to get a sense of how it works.
Low Accuracy / Low Authority
This is the bottom left of the grid. When you answer a question, you give a bad answer and you probably should have just kept your mouth shut. You aren’t any sort of authority on the topic and you can’t even explain it well. Nice job.
High Authority / Low Accuracy
You gave a good sounding answer but you’re full of crap. You’re slightly better than Hans the horse that could answer math questions – Clever Hans Phenomenon. You’ve learned how to answer questions in a confident manner by regurgitating answers that seemed to have worked in the past. You read the room to understand what type of answer would work best and you say it confidently. But you don’t own the answer. You’re not sure if it’s really right and it’s really correct in this situation.
Low Authority / High Accuracy
You know your shit but you don’t or can’t verbalize it in a way that comes off as having any sort of authority. You’re a great substitute teacher but the kids never listen to you.
High Authority / High Accuracy
As we move up and to the right of the grid we start to get into very useful answers. They are both accurate and authoritative. This encompasses answers that reflect what we actually know and are demonstrated clearly in a way that reads the room.
They require a combination of knowledge, critical thinking, and problem-solving. These answers show a clear understanding of the question, identify relevant information, and use that information to formulate a solution that accurately addresses the problem. Providing this kind of answer is not just about knowing the correct information; it’s also about applying that information in a meaningful way. You’ve done your homework.
The Game We Play
The game we play in modern companies is that we learn how to answer questions instead of giving good answers. We do this mainly to:
- Feel good about ourselves
- Look good to others
Instead of saying we don’t know and committing to the work of finding out, we take shortcuts and give an answer that is aimed at convincing rather that answering. When we can’t move to the right on the accuracy axis we tend to run up the y-axis of authority and use all sorts of persuasion to show how right we are.
Progress is best served by accepting a hard truth over a convenient lie.
– Some person at some point in time
There are two outcomes to giving “good sounding answers”. The first, is that we fool others. They believe our answer and proceed with their lives using our answer as fact. If we do that long enough we tend to fool ourselves into thinking we’re smarter than we actually are. I think you can see where that heads.
The second outcome, we get caught. Eventually answers that we don’t fully qualify with the work of understanding, testing and synthesizing catches up to us and we end up in the lovely spot of being wrong. The hallmark of a good leader is someone that can sniff this out. Once we’ve been caught ( so to speak ), we have two options, double down or admit it and do the hard work of finding the solution.
How to Improve
Below I will summarize how to improve for each of the quadrants of the grid. I would like to emphasize one point before that however. The over-arching way to improve answering questions is to be authentic. Be clear when you know and when you don’t. Saying “I don’t know” can rate you highly on the accuracy axis. We tend to think “not knowing” drops our authority, but it’s quite the opposite. It opens you up to others as trustworthy and can initiate dialogue and cooperation that leads to actual solutions and further increases your accuracy.
Low Accuracy / Low Authority: Good news is that you have no where to go but up. You need to sharpen your skills and practice how you present your work.
High Authority / Low Accuracy: Stay humble. You need to improve your skills and dial back your persuasion.
Low Authority / High Accuracy: Practice speaking up. Get uncomfortable, practice, practice, practice. It will get easier and you’ll realize you can do it.
High Authority / High Accuracy: Keep on trucking bud.
The Morale of the Story
The art of giving a good answer requires work to be both accurate and authoritative. To fully understand and answer the question as well as present it in a concise and precise manner. I will leave you with what I see as the anatomy of a good answer. If you can’t achieve this – simply say “I don’t know. I’ll get back to you.”
Anatomy of a Great Answer
A good answer is one that provides a clear and concise response to a question or problem. It should be well-structured, informative, and relevant to the topic at hand. The anatomy of a good answer can be broken down into several components:
- Clarity: A good answer should be clear and easy to understand. It should be written or spoken in a way that is concise and avoids unnecessary jargon or technical terms that may confuse the reader or listener.
- Relevance: A good answer should be relevant to the topic or question being asked. It should focus on the key points and avoid irrelevant information that may distract from the main message.
- Accuracy: A good answer should be accurate and based on facts or evidence. It should be supported by credible sources and avoid speculation or personal opinions.
- Completeness: A good answer should be complete and address all aspects of the question or problem. It should provide a comprehensive response that covers all relevant points.
- Organization: A good answer should be well-organized and structured in a logical manner. It should have a clear introduction, main body, and conclusion that summarizes the key points.
- Examples: A good answer should use examples or case studies to illustrate key points and provide context. This helps to make the answer more engaging and relatable to the reader or listener.
- Tone: A good answer should be written or spoken in a professional and respectful tone. It should avoid sarcasm, criticism, or any language that may offend or alienate the audience.