Questions

There, But Not There
Screenshot

Flying back to the United States from Europe, our flight path crossed the Arctic Circle, traveled north of Iceland and across Greenland, and dropped down into Canada. I have been close to the Arctic Circle on land adventures but have never crossed the line of demarcation at ground level. If somebody asks if I have been above the Arctic Circle, technically, the answer is yes, but the answer is not what I would consider authentic.

How might we ask more intentional questions when seeking a factual answer? How might we remain curious rather than accepting the first response we receive?

Your Turn: A Q&A
Stoke Quotes

Compelling projects are in the works for 2025! The first is a Q&A session that will be uploaded in the coming weeks. To participate, please submit your question(s) using the form below; we will answer the ones relevant to the blog’s theme. Potential topics include (but are not limited to) the social sector, leadership, planning, design-thinking, nonprofit trends, travel, storytelling, and facilitation.

Consider adding a name or a screen name to add value to the responses.

Go back

Your message has been sent

Questions That Change Outcomes

An innocuous question can solve a major airline crash investigation.

What questions do we need to ask ourselves and our team that might appear rudimentary but reveal significant barriers or opportunities? One of the best places to start is when providing orientation to new staff or board members. Their inquiry might open a new chapter for your enterprise.

Other Questions (Part Two)

It is probably quickly forgotten if we bring a stuffed animal to a hockey game and throw it onto the ice after the home team scores. However, if the home team holds a toy drive and thousands of stuffed animals are thrown onto the ice after the first goal, it is remarkable. Questions are similar; one rouge question might get a quick response, but a cascade of intentional questions can steer an enterprise’s future strategy.

What questions must you answer before you can ask another question?

Do you need to agree that contributed income is a vital source of revenue for your venture? Once established that contributed income is a priority, you can commence with questions about how your cause engages potential supporters in meaningful conversations about their philanthropy? The sub-questions have little value if we have not answered the essential question.

Right Questions

“Is this the boat?“

This summer, I watched a scenario in which tourists were instructed to board the next ferry that arrived in port. They intended to take the inter-island ferry to a city a few hours away. When a small tender arrived to take a handful of passengers to the ship anchored in the harbor, they attempted to board with their bags. The crew had to explain that the ferry was a much larger vessel that could carry hundreds of people and would travel far beyond the harbor. The tourists insisted that this was the right boat until a ferry agent guided them back to the line.

If we want the right answers, we are better served to ask the right questions.

Where there is smoke…

What advice would you give your younger self? If you could go back in time, say half of your current lifespan, what wisdom would you share with your less traveled self?

Chris Guillebeau shared a mind-shifting answer this weekend at World Domination Summit. He stated that he would ask his younger self how to nurture the key characteristics and mindsets that aging might erode. He flipped the script. He did not see the question as linear but rather generative. He reversed the flow and asked for guidance instead of funneling suspect wisdom to youth.

What questions and opportunities in your ecosystem are prime for a mind shift? How might we tell less and ask more for guidance? 

I am more connected to the causes who asked for my insights over the ones who told me their results and impact at the first point of contact. My ideas are treasured investments in these enterprises, and I intend to monitor their germination.

Ask a question before we tell; perhaps it becomes the fire that never natures into smoke.

This is not the sign you are looking for…

Outdated content that has been abandoned by the side of the trail is confusing at best and perhaps liter. Faded, inaccurate, confusing, and left over from a previous project. How many outdated messages do we leave throughout our organization? On our websites, in our facility, among our rituals, or even in current activities? Do we even see these legacy symbols anymore? Is there a process where someone outside our enterprise might help us identify what has become unseeable?

Pitch It vs Place It

We pitch it to avoid the even ground that exists between our current location and the intended landing zone. We are hopeful that the momentum we embed into the projectile is sufficient to reach the goal. We place it when we intend to be more exact and/or the value of the object meets a threshold to be considered less replaceable.

Horseshoes are easy to pitch and it is a required part of the rules of the game. The consequences of an errant throw is usually minimal and the reward for a ringer are virtual points. Placing a Rodin sculpture requires a level of expertise. We would be held in contempt if we pitched a world class sculpture over the wall and left it randomly in a sculpture garden. We invest in the professionals who have appreciation, experience, tools, time, and financial security to successfully install a piece.

Which considerations should we address before deciding if our intended strategy is a pitch or place?