For a long time, I thought the quote “You’re not stupid, you just don’t know much yet” came from Winnie the Pooh. Recently I found out it’s actually said by Karak to Vuk, when he takes him into his cave. I think it’s a very important thought – especially when we promote or hire a young colleague with little experience into a more serious role.
Once I had a junior assistant who sat in the open office next to mine. She was eager, highly motivated, and open to learning anything. That’s exactly why I hired her, knowing I would need to teach and support her. Not far from her sat another colleague with about one more year of experience, and stronger English skills. One day my assistant asked a question in English, and this colleague commented loudly from two desks away that she “should already know this” and that it was such a basic thing to ask. The whole office reacted immediately and stepped in. That kind of public put-down was completely unnecessary – especially from someone with only one extra year of experience, and definitely not in that tone.
We were lucky. Because we stepped in and supported her, she kept her motivation and stayed with us. But a situation like this could easily break the confidence of a young, eager colleague and even make them leave the company. In the worst cases, an experience like this early in someone’s career can influence their whole professional path.
When we put young or less experienced colleagues into bigger roles, we should always remember that nobody can solve everything from day one. We need to plan time, patience, and attention to help them grow into the position. That’s part of our job as leaders.
The sentence “You’re not stupid, you just don’t know much yet” helps us keep this in mind. It reminds us to be patient. It guides more experienced colleagues to support others with understanding. And it also helps the junior colleague, because it creates a safe environment where it’s okay to learn and okay to make mistakes. If they expect too much from themselves and feel disappointed, they still have something to lean on. Motivation, enthusiasm, and the willingness to learn are real treasures – sometimes even more valuable than existing knowledge. It’s worth protecting them.
