You got lucky
and are attending a
dinner/workshop/presentation/meeting
that is way above your current level.
You’re a middle manager
and have been asked to sit in
on a board meeting.
You’re a beginner marketer
and you’re taking an advanced marketer class
(because no one filtered
your inexperienced a$$ out of it).
You do your best
to learn as much about the subject
as possible
before attending
but you arrive
and there are still terms
and insider language
you don’t understand.
What do you do?
You take mental notes,
filing questions to be asked later,
and shut the hell up.
If you can,
after the event is done,
you grab an attendee
and ask them to translate
over a cup of coffee.
Or you research the answers
on your own.
You don’t ask your questions
at the event.
If you do this,
you’ll stop the natural flow
of conversation.
They’ll realize
you’re not one of them.
They’ll often bring the conversation back
to your level,
which negates the privilege
of being at this event.
There will also be resentment.
They had sh*t to talk about
and now they can’t
because you’re there.
Sitting at the big girls’ table
is a privilege.
Listen and learn.