Questions

Ask the Question Another Way
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen (Vintage)

Reading the book, Born To Run.  I am especially intrigued by the science of what biological and physiological traits provide human with a competitive advantage in nature even though we are not fast enough to outrun many of our potential predators.  As the scientist broke down the possible advantages of the human physiology they stumble across critical answers once they ask critical questions in the opposite way.  

Are you asking the same questions hoping for different answers?  Try reversing your query.  When the question is re-framed it may just reveal a completely different answer that may provide a new perspective.

Questions Before Countdown

I am a couple weeks from concluding nine years of service as a trustee at an independent school.  It has been a pleasure to serve and I have learned as much during my role as a trustee as when I was student.  Much has been accomplished by the school and some of it can be attributed to the Board’s leadership and partnership with the Head of School.  There is also a list of opportunities not seized and communications missed.  All this brings me to two questions that I recently came across in discussions with a consulting client. 

Before my term on the Board expires I want to….? 
If this organization could be anything I wish it were ….?
The answers to these questions may reveal much about our individual goals and areas of focus when asked of trustees (or staff, volunteers, donors, etc) in the early part of their terms.  
What questions do you ask those who serve your cause?

Questions You Must Ask Everyday to Improve

There are times during an athletic competition, consulting project, or eventful moment of life that I wonder how much longer I can maintain the pace.  It struck me the other day that it is during these moments that life it revealed at its fullest.  It is in the instant that you launch off the diving board and head for the pool water below.  You are committed and can either execute the dive you planned or perform a painful belly flop.  Put a number on your shirt and enter a running race and there will be a threshold that you reach where you have to decide if you can keep going or need to back-off.  There is no right answer but living in that moment of questioning for just a few seconds or minutes longer seems to reveal more than a lifetime of dreaming.  

The successes I most treasure are rooted in persevering when the questioning became most intense.  “Can I keep this up?  Will it be more painful a mile from now?  Do I have the stamina to sustain this effort?  What if a competitor pushes the pace faster, how will I match their acceleration?”


What are your questions?  How have they inspired you?  What lessons have you learned?

Image Credit: http://cincinnati.com

Key Questions

One of the questions I learned to ask when I served an arts organization as board chair was “what is our outcome?”  In a smaller community it was easy to have day-to-day or at least weekly contact with the Executive Director.  Typically there was a new fire burning each time.  Donors who had been disappointed by not being able to get tickets to a sold out concert, local artists who did not get into an arts and crafts festival, a community member who thought an instillation was too provocative.  

The temptation was to solve the problem with the Executive Director.  It was easy to start thinking through the action steps and role play the possible scenarios. I quickly learned that this was akin to both of us abandoning ship and rowing around in life boats in rough seas.  A lot of energy expended and no real results.  Instead I started asking, “what is our outcome?”  Then I would follow-up with, “why is it important and what critical steps do we need to take to meet the outcome?”  These three questions framed our overall goal, touched on the emotional issue (the why) and outlined the most important action steps for moving forward.  By asking these three questions the answers brought clarity and everyone could stay on the boat.  It became a template for our conversations and served us well since everyone understood what we were trying to achieve.

What important questions do you ask?  How do they focus your process and response?

Blame

Blame is easy, convenient and it provides a simple answer to challenging questions.  

  • Many political figures are masters of blame.  In brief ten second sound bite they address their talking points.  With outrageous metaphor they must outline how they as an individual, their party, and their legislation has been held hostage by the the opposition.
  • Nonprofits use blame.  Foundations are blamed for not approving grants.  Boards are blamed for not attending meetings or be disengaged.  Volunteers are blamed for not completing tasks professionally.
  • Donors use blame.  They give without condition but then blame the charity when they cannot get tickets to a sold out event or are seated poorly at a gala.
  • Members blame organizations for not getting enough benefits in return for their investment.  They become transactional with the institution.  Customer service becomes the focus instead of the organization’s ability to meet the mission.


Much of what incites us to blame is the lack of easy answers.  Blame covers large gaps in understanding with a blanket statement.  If you are using or hearing blame in your organization, pause and consider what questions have gone unanswered.  The power of being inquisitive can lead to extraordinary results.

Crazy Survey

I just received a JD Power survey about a vehicle I own. I started answering the questions on the survey because I am always interested in how they design customer surveys. I made it about a page before I began to laugh. and tossed the survey into the shredder. What made me laugh? I could only imagine the scenarios where I did either of these actions in an after-market:

Does your car have tires/rims? Were they installed by the dealer or after-market?

Does your vehicle have keys? Were they installed by the dealer or after-market?

I know the intention of these questions was to gain data on upgrades or changes to the vehicle but since brevity was clearly the theme of all the questions they make no sense. Did I carry my car off the lot? Did I have it taken by flatbed and have tires and rims added and while you are at could you call the locksmith and have a set of keys made-up so I can drive this thing?

What questions are we asking our customers that make no sense? Do we allow for feedback so we can uncover objections to inappropriate questions? Have you accounted for how many customer feedback forms went to the shredder because the questions could not be answered?

5:45 AM Conference Call


I woke at 5:45 AM this morning, walked down to the computer, and 10 minutes later was on a video conference engaged with a board that was holding a retreat in New York. This is done daily across the world. For me it re-enforced the point that resources are available from all over. If we limit our thinking and ask less powerful questions our results will be in proportion with our vision. Do not be afraid to ask grand questions or consider resources from around the world. In a global world, you never know who or what you will find.

If A then B?


I wonder how often we stick with the conventional because if allows us to stay with a know entity and receive familiar outcomes? How many times do we change our route home? Do you ever breakout a different clothes? Do you try different stories at a social gathering? What do you order from the restaurant menu- could you spouse or friends guess your entree of choice? What assumptions control our behavior. I must do this because that is always the way it has been. Looking at some blogs this morning started me wondering:

  • What would the United States look like if Texas seceded from the Union? Would California leave next?
  • Why can’t a large ocean-going vessel protect itself from a motorized raft loaded with a few pirates?
  • Has the economic downturn increased our realization of what we value?
  • How will we go back to paying ‘full’ price for items? What will shift our consciousness away from demanding a discount?
  • If you received a free ticket that expires in one month would you fly half-way around the world to see a country you have always wanted to visit?
  • What role will books written about play in the future if consumers demand that you start a blog with a synopsis of your ideas first?

How quickly environmental factors influence our focus. What are you doing intentionally everyday? What parts of your life are left on default mode?