"You don't know what you don't know!"

"You don't know what you don't know!" I’ve used this phrase often over the years. The longer I lead a business, the more I appreciate how much it applies to me, too.

Experience gives us knowledge and confidence. It can also make us comfortable with our own way of doing things. Sometimes it takes someone asking a question we hadn’t considered to help us see a different path. That is one of the most valuable things coaching and mentorship can offer: perspective.

Learning to receive coaching

Being open to coaching takes some flexibility. When you care deeply about your work and carry responsibility for a team, it can be difficult to pause and reconsider your approach.

Over the years, I’ve learned to listen more closely, ask for clarification, and make room for another point of view. I can feel confident in my experience and still have something to learn.

A good coach or mentor helps us recognize patterns, question assumptions, and see possibilities we might have missed on our own. Receiving that kind of guidance has also shaped how I try to support others.

Learning to ask better questions

When someone brings me a problem, my instinct can be to jump in and help solve it. There are certainly times when a direct answer is needed. But I’ve learned the value of slowing down enough to understand what someone is facing.

What are we trying to accomplish?

What have you already tried?

Where are you getting stuck?

What information would help us move forward?

Those clarifying questions create room for a more useful conversation. They can reveal that we’re working with different assumptions or that the first problem we noticed has a deeper cause. They also give the person closest to the work an opportunity to contribute what they know. Often, that is where the best solution begins.

Growing together

At ABACORP, we say, “Precision starts with people.” That belief extends to how we help people develop their judgment, confidence, and ability to work through challenges.

I want our team to feel comfortable asking questions and bringing forward ideas. As a leader, I help create that environment by being willing to do the same.

I’m still learning when to offer direction, when to ask another question, and when to give someone the space to work through an answer. That requires me to keep adjusting, too.

For our customers, this approach matters because the way we lead shapes the way we serve. A team that feels comfortable asking questions is better prepared to clarify requirements, raise concerns early, and work through challenges together. Encouraging people to think, contribute, and take ownership helps us build the dependable partnerships our customers count on.

We don’t always know what we don’t know. But we can keep asking, listening, and improving. At ABACORP, that’s part of what we mean when we say, “Precision starts with people.”

Reach out anytime. You can email me at Kim@abacorpcnc.com.

I would love to hear from you!

~Kim Frankel