Power Is Asking The Right Question
People are always looking for answers. They want to know how to improve their business or their life. They want to know how to fix various problems in their business and in their life. They want to know how to get more clients or customers or how to increase their revenue. They want to know how to improve profits. They want to know how to deal with the economy. Yes indeed, everyone is looking for answers - THE ANSWERS - to help them create positive change. Many times, however, the problem is that they are asking the wrong questions, and in order to get the right answers we need to be asking the right questions.
Study after study has demonstrated the power of our minds to solve problems, whether the solutions involve complex analysis or simple creativity. Our brains are hard wired to answer questions. Whenever we hear a question, our brains immediately (and without conscious thought) begin to try and answer the question. In fact, we can't stop our brains from trying to answer questions. Unfortunately, we too often forget or ignore the power that our brains have to solve problems. Even more frequently, we miss opportunities within ourselves and within our organizations by failing to ask the right question.
I recently heard this statement: "Power is asking the right question," and it's absolutely true. Given the power that we have (individually and collectively) to answer questions, solve problems and create solutions, ultimate power is not in the answers but rather in the questions - the right questions.
In facing challenges or opportunities we too often jump into the obvious questions with little or no thought, and we fail to invest time in developing the right question - the question or questions that will drive us toward the right answers and the right solutions. Let's look at a couple of examples. I often hear people looking for solutions by asking "what can we do," but this question misses the mark. The right question is most often "what SHOULD we do." What's the difference? First, you can do anything. There is no intention or purpose around "can," and it only suggests an idea, not the best or the right idea. In addition, "should" necessarily invokes things like purpose, values and overall strategies. Second, things that you can do are primarily items on a list, but things that you should do infer action. Once you identify what you should do, the immediate next step is to implement the idea. Therefore, a "should" idea demonstrates a significant level of commitment to the idea and to the actions to implement it.
Another example of a wrong question surfaces in my interactions with job seekers and career changers. Most of these people tell me that they are trying to figure out what is there next career or job, but will typically say, "I'm looking for a job that ... ." If you're looking for a job, then the underlying question is, "Where can I find a job or a new career." This is the wrong question. The better and right question is "What is THE job for me?" "THE" job involves matching the right person, with the right opportunity and the right organization based upon not only skills and experience, but purpose, character and values. Anyone can find a job, but people need to be focused on finding THE job, and the difference is in the question.
We all have the power to implement positive change whether it's in our organization or in our own lives. That power lies within us; within our powerful and creative brains and minds. We need to feed our minds with the right questions. It has been said, "if you build it they will come," but also remember that if you ask the right question then the right answers and solutions will also come. Indeed, power is asking the right question!
