Have you ever asked yourself that question? Do you regularly ask questions? Do you immediately expect an answer? Do you think it’s important to ask questions?
Does your company or organization need to…
- Jump start innovation?
- Develop more effective ways to do things?
- Prioritize development of the next significant breakthrough?
- Figure out how to more effectively meet customers needs?
With the exponential rate of change going on in the world today, successful organizations engage every employee and stakeholder in thinking through what is needed to be successful. Asking questions is a critical skill to have. The best way to get people to think is through asking open ended and critical questions. Asking questions in a way that motivates and gets you to consider alternate possibilities. Questions that make you ask, what if, what could be, and what are the options?
Unfortunately, many leaders today are not asking questions. They feel like they have no time to ask questions and just need to take action. They have forgotten the statement of going slow to go fast. Going fast after the wrong solution generates an even bigger problem. Going fast after a suboptimal solution results in mediocrity. Going after the best solution achieves results that set you apart. These kinds of solutions can only happen when asking the right questions, considering the possibilities, having an open mind to the crazy, and willingness to keep asking questions until you arrive at the best solution. Then implement the solution quickly.
Albert Einstein said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask… for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.”
The winners today are those who encourage curiosity, thinking outside our traditional box and thinking about how to do things differently. Getting out of our traditional ruts. That only happens if we have open minds and that happens best through asking of really good questions that make us think.
Asking questions can inspire or stifle. We have all experienced questions asked with sarcasm, with hidden agendas, and to show us what we don’t know. That is the fastest way to stifle further questions.
If you are going to ask questions you need to ask open ended questions that stimulate creativity, deep thinking, curiosity, and inspiration. Questions that encourage employees to take ownership, to look out of a different window, to innovate, and do things differently.
When questions are used effectively it empowers your employees, encourages them to take ownership, and encourages them to think. It is one of the most powerful ways to get your employees engaged and excited to come to work. We all want to feel valued. Asking questions, listening carefully to the answers and then asking effective follow up questions enables effective solutions.
Have you asked thinking questions today?
