How Do You Know?
IYKYK
This popular abbreviation is one we often see used throughout social media and casual communications. I could leave it undefined and make a case in point, but that’s not helpful, is it 😉
IYKYK means:
If you know, you know!
Often spotted on posts with a niche reference or an inside joke, it’s shorthand that portrays a lot of meaning for its intended audience.
I experienced this in a group online session I host weekly, where we were discussing how difficult it is to explain to others how valuable and powerful the format of our practice is. Described in words it doesn’t portray any of its magic. Yet once experienced, the magic is palpable. It is a classic case of IYKYK.
It got me thinking about how in our workplaces, this dilemma can often be divisive. If you don’t know, you might be excluded or derided because “you don’t get it”.
How often might it be the case that words are simply not enough? Might it be that some things have to be experienced for that lightbulb of knowing to flash on?
We can create opportunities for experience and knowing for ourselves and our teams. We can find ways of expanding the circle of who is in the know.
And, next time we see IYKYK, we will nod vigorously. Oh yes, we know.