“I think Capri is a great place for a break and we should drive.”“I really admire the way they designed the Ducati 1198S front suspension, with its upside down fork, and we should apply the same principles to our R+D.”
“I think we need to transform our Customer Experience on-line by rebuilding the way customers complete the transactions.”
Argue with me. The first part of each of these statements is valid. Part deux, the second part, deadly. Getting to a conclusion based on your own bias or uninformed opinion is a not great idea. Doing so by thinking it through so that everyone responsible can comment and support the outcome - priceless. What I’m saying is that a great idea or concept can be utterly undermined by the seeming need to add the blundering second part of the statement. We all do it. How can we stop part deux? Well maybe we can.
Is there a right answer? And did we ask the right question anyway? How would we know? If we look at any given idea, question, concept or problem and identify it on our own we are likely to be prejudiced and wrong. We are unlikely to come to the correct conclusion. We will inject a potentially dangerous or at best inefficient bias. The journey to any meaningful conclusion will therefore take longer. We seem to inject bias and opinion instead of or at least ahead of listening, reflecting and reasoning with others. It all comes down to our desire to answer questions, a fear of being seen to not know coupled with a dramatic reduction in quality time for thinking. Reasoning and better questions. That’s what we need. Not jumping to conclusions or personal bias and unchallenged opinion. Ask a silly question? No go on ask a silly question!
It’s very interesting but I can’t think of one. The answer you get always informs you. People have two choices when they receive a question - they will answer in good faith or they think you either a little naïve or daft. The answer they give will tell you whether they are or not. Questions are the raw material our brains need to function. No question, no stimulus – brain atrophies. It just does. A lesson someone sent me recently goes like this. “Therapists don’t tell you what to do. Rather, they ask probing questions that get you to discover for yourself what is true for you, your situation, and what you want.” basically you are too busy being you, conditioned to be putting out fires whilst missing the big picture. Having to think through and answer the questions forces you to identify what you need to do. I do this every day to my clients and it’s incredible to see the energy and value of it but frightening to imagine that it requires this objectivity and simplicity to make the brain and the business work. I love the tricky questions. A possible top 20. Feel free to add yours.
- Does the world need another business like yours? Why?
- In one sentence, what does your business do?
- Who buys what you do? Describe the type of person.
- Why does that someone buy your product/service/solution?
- What is the one thing your business does that no competitor can argue that they also do? Really?
- What is the activity that you do (or see being done) that irritates you because you believe it’s just dumb? Why do you think it’s still being done?
- When was the last time you actually altered your behavior? Why?
- Can you write down the definition of Innovation? Would everyone in the business apply the same definition?
- In a room of 30 senior people will you articulate the 800lb Gorilla? When did you last do so?
- If someone handed you $1,000,000 today, on what would you spend it to guarantee your vision?
- If someone handed you $1,000,000 today, would you spend it to solve the biggest problem?
- What is the one thing that’s most responsible for preventing sales?
- What’s the one thing that you think actually loses you business?
- Is it likely you are spending money in your business solving the wrong problems really well? How would you know you are not?
- On what basis do you promote people in the business? Really.
- If you could get the answer to just one big question what would that question be?
- Does everyone in the business like being in the business? Do you know why they don’t?
- If you could only hire one person ever again what would you be getting them to do and why?
- Which business process or system is your biggest headache? Why?
- What should we stop doing? Why aren’t we?
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