This is by far the most important thing I've learned in my big company life. If you are in a meeting of 10 people and somebody appears to be saying something insane or stupid, the reason nobody is saying anything is because there are 8 other people in the room who are all nodding uncertainly and they don't want to sound like the jackass.
So ask the question. At worst, you will have misunderstood what they're saying, and since it's unlikely that you are the dumbest person in the room, there's probably at least one other person who has the same misunderstanding as you.
At best, you're the guy who has spotted the flaw in the plan and spoken up before it was too late. Either way, it's a win-win for you.
Back when I used to work with Sriram on Microsoft Popfly (now defunct) I was a huge believer in asking 'stupid' questions. No matter how dumb or obvious your question might be, odds are someone else in the room has the same one. Plus, admitting that you don't know everything pays its own dividends in terms of not seeming like a total jerk.
You're absolutely right. There really isn't a stupid question. Only fearful meeting participants.
This is by far the most important thing I've learned in my big company life. If you are in a meeting of 10 people and somebody appears to be saying something insane or stupid, the reason nobody is saying anything is because there are 8 other people in the room who are all nodding uncertainly and they don't want to sound like the jackass.
So ask the question. At worst, you will have misunderstood what they're saying, and since it's unlikely that you are the dumbest person in the room, there's probably at least one other person who has the same misunderstanding as you.
At best, you're the guy who has spotted the flaw in the plan and spoken up before it was too late. Either way, it's a win-win for you.