The key to great solutions is to ask more questions
It may seem obvious, but if we want to arrive at the best possible solutions we need to investigate and interrogate ideas, opinions, wants and needs – in other words, we need to ask questions.
Before arriving at the answers to many of the world’s great mysteries, inventors and scientists asked ‘why?’.
- Before theorising the Law of Gravity, Isaac Newton asked, “Why does an apple fall from a tree?”
- Charles Darwin hypothesised Natural Selection after asking, “Why do the Galapagos Islands have so many species that aren’t found elsewhere?”
- Albert Einstein wondered, “What would the universe look like if I rode through it on a beam of light?” before penning the Theory of Relativity.
By asking questions that others hadn’t thought of, or were too afraid to ask, they started a process that led to tremendous breakthroughs. Yet, asking questions can be one of the toughest things to do in a professional environment. We may feel that we are exposing ignorance, inexperience or possibly even stupidity by asking questions – but, how else can we be sure that we have all the right information to increase our impact and accomplish even better results?
At Kyocera, we believe in asking good questions that are based on good listening. Our philosophy is to constantly ask, “’Is this the right way? Is it the best way?’” whilestriving to improve our work.
The more you can find out about a person's needs, wants, interests and situation, the easier it is to reach win-win outcomes – these could be through sales, collaboration or relationship building. By learning to ask the right questions and really listening to the answers, we can ensure that everybody feels heard and that the most desirable outcome is reached as a result.Instead of rushing to answer questions, let’s slow down enough to recognise the many opportunities we have to find out more about a person, idea or situation by asking ‘why?’.
As the great writer, historian and philosopher, Voltaire once said “Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.”
Ian Dury - Business support Manager - KYOCERA Document Solutions South Africa
