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If you’re in a client meeting, don’t say / ask anything if you don’t understand it. Make a note and run it by your manager separately.
If you’re in an internal meeting, as long as it’s on topic, go for it. It can be effective to couch things in a passive context when you’re not an expert, like “is there any chance this could play into it?” or “based on my limited understanding, I’m thinking X — is that a valid concern?” And then that gives them the opportunity to dive deeper into your comment, or gracefully move on if you’re off base.
As a consultant, you’re going to get comfortable portraying an image of competence, even on topics you don’t understand. Learning to navigate those situations, get basic understanding quickly, and tactfully communicate when you are not as familiar with the concepts will come with time!
It happens, I’m not sure anyone puts too much stock on a small slip when your work and general understanding are solid. In my experience if you approach someone who knows a lot about ______, get them in a 1:1 and just lay out your stupid questions to them. They’ll pick apart your assumptions, validate your conclusions and guide you to a fuller understanding and it’ll ingratiate you to them since they’ll feel confident you learned about _____ from a solid source, them. Especially in consulting where your work isn’t the same each quarter- you’re going to bump into new things, even at the associate level (even higher too) & no one would expect you to magically know it Monday, because you got assigned on Friday. They just expect you to catch up quick
Do you have an example? It’s easier to give an opinion with a real example
Why not just research basic concepts prior to meetings? Or even dive deep in one area and offer a few tidbits during the meeting?
People misspeak and speak to topics about which they have an approximate understanding all the time. That’s okay! But it’s really about your delivery. If you generally say what you mean, instead of stringing along buzz words, you’ll be alright.