Have you ever stayed quiet because you didn’t want to look stupid, then realized you lost a whole week because you guessed wrong?
Silence feels safe in the moment. But it quietly charges you interest, especially when you’re new and everything still feels unfamiliar.
When Ken chose guessing over speaking up
Ken Mercado was a new hire in a fast-moving operations team. First job, first boss, first time feeling like everyone around him spoke a different language.
On his first week, his supervisor handed him a task and said, “Ken, update the tracker, then send it to the team.”
Ken nodded quickly. “Yes, ma’am.” Then he opened the file and froze. The tracker had tabs, color codes, and labels that looked obvious to everyone else but not to him.
He wanted to ask which tracker she meant, which version to use, and what “validated” even meant in their world. But he swallowed the questions because he thought, Baka basic lang ‘to. I should figure it out.
So he guessed. He updated the wrong tab, used an old template, and sent it to the group chat like he was proud of himself.
Five minutes later, his supervisor messaged him privately. “Ken, wrong file. Please recall. Use the latest version.” Ken felt his face warm—not because he was scolded, but because he knew the real problem: he wasted time trying to look competent.
When Lara spoke up early—and learned faster
Lara Cruz joined another team in the same company. Same age, same stage, same pressure to prove herself, but she carried a different habit into her first week.
Her lead gave her a similar instruction: “Lara, update the tracker and send it to the team.” Lara nodded, then added one sentence: “Quick question—what does ‘validated’ mean in our tracker, and which tab do you want updated?”
Her lead didn’t get annoyed. He smiled and said, “Good question. ‘Validated’ means Finance confirmed. Update Tab 3. And use the version in the shared drive, not the one in chat.” Lara replied, “Got it,” and finished the task with calm confidence.
What changed wasn’t her skill. It was her speed of clarity. She didn’t just complete the task—she learned the team’s language in minutes instead of weeks.
Pause: where do you stay quiet?
If you’re early in your career, you might recognize what Ken did. You don’t stay quiet because you don’t care. You stay quiet because you care too much about looking capable.
So check your week. What are you guessing right now? What are you trying to “figure out” alone that you could clarify in thirty seconds?
And if you lead young professionals, look at your culture. Which part of your team makes people afraid to ask? Do they get mocked, labeled slow, or told “common sense naman ‘yan”? That’s how silence becomes a habit.
If you want to learn faster, ask intelligent questions
Most people think speaking up is about confidence. It’s not. It’s about clarity.
If you want to learn faster, ask intelligent questions. Don’t assume you know. Don’t gamble your time just to protect your image.
Guessing feels brave, but it’s often just fear wearing a costume.
Asking feels awkward for five seconds, then it saves you five hours.
Do this now, while you’re reading
Think of one task on your plate today that still feels a bit unclear. Something you’re doing with crossed fingers, hoping you understood the instruction correctly.
Don’t wait for the mistake to teach you.
Send one clean question now.
“Which version should I use?”
“What does ‘approved’ mean here?”
“Which part matters most—speed or accuracy?”
“Who makes the final call?”
You don’t need a long explanation. You don’t need to apologize. You just need clarity.
The tool I’ll give you next: The 3-Question Speak-Up Script
Most people don’t speak up because they don’t know how to ask without sounding incompetent. They over-explain, apologize too much, or wait until the problem is already big.
So I’m creating a small downloadable script you can use in chat, email, or in person. You can use it yourself, or share it with a new teammate who keeps guessing. I call it The 3-Question Speak-Up Script.
Here’s the preview: Outcome: “What does ‘done’ look like?” Context: “What should I know before I start?” Priority: “What matters most—speed or accuracy?” Three questions, asked with respect, can save hours of confusion.
One move in the next 24 hours
Try this for one day: no guessing in silence.
When you hit a moment of doubt, don’t hide it. Don’t “figure it out” alone just to look capable.
Ask. Clarify. Then move with confidence.
Because the goal isn’t to look smart.
The goal is to learn fast.
Speak up early. Learn faster.
If your team is stuck in meetings, misalignment, or slow decisions…
Let’s design one shift they can use immediately.
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