Right Questions > Right Answers > Right Results

Questions provoke the thought process – and often right questions lead to right answers.

However, one of the most common traits I have observed in a lot of people is that they keep doing what they are asked to do without asking the right questions. They end up being “task-executors” and add no value to the process.

Asking right questions at the onset gives you clarity on purpose and objective of the activity. When you know the purpose, you start thinking it through and not just execute what is assigned. It makes a hell lot of difference when it comes to doing something right.

So, in a way, right questions lead to right answers which lead to right results.

I have seen meetings that go wrong because purpose was not clear to the participants. I have seen conversations between a manager and team member go wrong because manager was not clear on what he wanted to communicate and why. I have seen corporate initiatives going haywire because they started with insufficient clarity. The list can go on.

Purpose of asking questions could be to seek clarity or drive a thought process. Recently, we were brainstorming on sales strategy for a business unit where I also involved some people from the technical team.

The entire conversation revolved around questions. I threw open questions and they would just think the answers aloud. I would appreciate their thinking and ask further questions. Ideas kept moving forward.  How wrong I was to think that technical guys have no clue about sales?

I asked simple questions like:

1. What are the key benefits of approach you are suggesting?
2. Why do you think it will work?
3. How would you do that?
4. Is that the best way to execute it?
5. Any other alternative methods to do it better?
6. Any other ideas? Is that all you could think of?

During the Management Development Program conducted by Prof. M. S. Pillai, we were told that if you walk with an umbrella when it is raining all over, you won’t get wet because umbrella will not allow rain drops to touch you. Similarly, if you work with a closed mind, you will never acquire knowledge. Just like rain, knowledge is all over. We need to open up the lids of our brains and let the knowledge come in.

I think that questions, right questions, meaningful questions are best tools for opening up the brain and spark off a thought process. Isn’t it?

In this regards, I just loved a quote I read at “The Last Psychiatrist” – great quote to end the post.

“The first business of (science) education should not be to help us answer questions, but to help us ask questions.”

Also read related posts that refer Management Development Program:

• Management, Leadership and Motherhood
• On Decision Making and Elephantine way of doing it
• Why professional integrity is even more important now?