Professor Julius Sumner Miller was an American physicist and television personality best known for his work in popularising science. He was a dedicated educator passionate about making the complexities of physics understandable and exciting to students and the public alike.
When I was 15, my high school engaged Professor Julius Sumner Miller as a roaming lecturer. He was famous for his science-based TV show. Why is it so?
He would enter the room with great gusto and fire off questions. His vast knowledge was astonishing. You tried your best not to make eye contact. If he did ask you a question, he didn’t expect an answer on the spot. He stared and said, ‘Look it up’. That meant a trip to the library and some research time. Days or weeks later, he would return and repeat the question. His memory was uncanny.
God help you and your teacher if you don’t know the answer.
Take your time to understand and answer the questions that impact your decisions.
I encourage you to work similarly with clients, your team, and other stakeholders. Don’t rush people because it suits you. Don’t be rushed because they want an answer. The definition of urgency is someone else’s agenda. People get forced into making decisions that they would have never said yes to later.
Sometimes, in our business, we go from 0 to 100 in seconds with questions that demand an answer. The majority require context before giving a reply. Does the question fit within our scope of operations, terms and conditions and pre-determined processes? If so, they are the easy ones!
Occasionally, a question falls out of my purview and requires quiet thought. The first thing I do is ask for or negotiate a deadline. It may be 10 minutes or two hours. As with Professor Sumner Miller, I always consider the reason for the question before responding.
Creating undue pressure by expecting split-second answers from yourself or others will not improve the decisions made. Respect each other and agree on a realistic timeframe for a measured response. Then, hold yourself or others to that timeline.
