Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

Many managers are afraid to utter things like: “I don’t know,” “Would you help me?” or “I’m not sure I get it.”

But failing to admit when you make a mistake or lack knowledge makes you less effective. When you pretend to know everything, you miss opportunities to learn.

And if you try to hide your ignorance or your errors, you’ll lose peoples’ trust. They know when you don’t know something or make an error.

Fess up when you’re in those situations.

Acknowledge your own limitations so others can do the same. And when you need it, ask for help and be open to learning.

Today’s Management Tip was adapted from “The Words Many Managers Are Afraid To Say” by Linda Hill & Kent Lineback.

To read that article and join the discussion, please click here.