The Least Helpful Four Words in Business

The least helpful four-word sentence in business? ‘I told you so’.

It’s a familiar story in procurement. We conduct our due diligence, spot a potential risk, and flag it to our stakeholders. The warning is noted, but a different path is chosen. And then… the risk becomes a reality.

The temptation to sit back and think “I told you so” is immense. We bask in the warm glow of smug and anger. It achieves nothing.

The Uncomfortable Truth

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: if I foresaw an issue, told people about it, and still couldn’t influence the outcome, then my communication wasn’t effective enough. The failure wasn’t just in the final decision. It was in my inability to persuade.

An “I told you so” moment isn’t a victory; it’s a data point for self-improvement. It’s a prompt to ask ourselves:

• Did I present the risk in the language of my audience?
• Did I translate the procurement risk into tangible business impact (cost, reputation, operations)?
• Did I build a strong enough coalition of support?

Our value isn’t just in spotting risks; it’s in successfully navigating the business away from them. That requires influence, not just analysis.

Let’s swap being grumpy for getting better at bringing people with us.