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 "I don't know" might be the three most professional words in the English language.

Especially in the workplace, when asked a question you don't know the answer to, there is only one correct answer. That answer is, "I don't know."

Now, if you DO know, that's of course better. But if you don't know - it's always better to just say that rather than say, "I think" or "I assume." It's also ok to follow "I don't know" with an offer to try and find out. The person asking may take you up that offer or they may have reasons they'd rather you stand down. Either way - the most important part is to say, "I don't know."

Especially among early professionals just coming out of school, there may be a natural reluctance to say, "I don't know" because - when you say that on a test, you get a lower grade. Lower grade means you achieved less. Doing pretty much anything you can to avoid saying, "I don't know" is hard-wired into us in school.

But the workplace is very different. Here are four reasons why it's SO GREAT to say, "I don't know" in the workplace when you don't know.

1) You Prevent Big Problems

Not to put too fine a point on it - airplanes have crashed because someone "thought" or "was pretty sure" there was gas in the tank. People have had the wrong limbs operated on because a doctor "thought" it was the right one.

If you're not sure about the answer, just say so. When you do, you prevent potentially HUGE problems later on. Trust me, the mild inconvenience of double-checking or looking something up is much better than the potentially huge alternative ramifications.

2) You Open the Opportunity to Learn

I know firsthand that there is often nothing worse than a new employee that says they know how to do something when they really don't. So often, in trying to make a great first impression, new staffers will avoid admitting they don't know something. What often ends up happening is they do their best (but do it wrong). As a result, the supervisor may start to think:

• This employee does bad work. After all, they said they knew how to do it.
• Now we've wasted all this time and I have to go back and fix what they did wrong

On the other hand, when you admit to what you know and what you don't right from the beginning - you open the opportunity to learn. Most supervisors would MUCH rather have an employee admit to knowing what they know and what they don't from the beginning...it's so much faster and easier.

3) You Avoid The Need To Lie

Need another reason to stop saying you know when you actually just "think" or "are pretty sure?" When you don't know something and you suggest you do...isn't that a lie?

The cover up is always worse than the scandal...and that's what saying, "I think" is. It's a cover up.

4) You Show You Are Human

You know who knows everything? Nobody. At least no human.

When you admit there are things you don't know, you're showing that you are vulnerable and humble and human. You know who humans like and relate to and hire? Other humans.

So! The next time somebody asks you a question at work and you don't know the answer...if you didn't already, no you do. The only good answer is, "I don't know."