The Art Of Inquiry
What do humans do better than machines? We ask great questions, which lead to even better questions. The more open ended the better. What does a question do? It attempts to satisfy curiosity. It inspires a new perspective. Think about when a child asks “why is the sky blue?”. Even when you provide an answer, they remain unsatisfied. They continue to ask why. Remaining unsatisfied sounds bad, but it can actually be good. The best questions inspire new thinking spaces that reimagine old systems, solve new problems, and lead to unparalleled self-awareness.
Why don’t we lean into this incredible ability to inquire?
Questions aren't always embraced by their intended recipient. Before they leave for school, I like to remind my kids to ask great questions. My youngest responded one morning by saying that the teachers are supposed to ask the questions and we answer them. As we get older, we don’t hold space to explore thoughts and ideas. We feel vulnerable when we don't understand something. We are predisposed to find answers quickly. There are many barriers that prevent us from asking great questions.
Questions are the catalyst for transformational experiences.
What questions are on your mind? What questions could be really fun to explore?
Make a list, but don’t answer them, yet. Just write them out.
For example:
What would it be like if I had my boss’s job?
What if I started my own business that did what one of my customers does?
What if I figured out a way to help that homeless man I walk by every day?
What if I spend ten minutes today coming up with bad ideas?
How would I fix the problem the managers discussed at the meeting?
What if I spend an hour writing that story I’ve been thinking about for years?
How would I lead this team if I were the coach?
What do I love about my job?
What do I dread about my job?
What am I waiting for?
What do I really want? Why do I want it?
Guess what? You’ve actually just given yourself two weeks worth of writing prompts. Tuck them away in your journal and tackle one during your next writing session. Don’t be too quick to lock in your answer. Think of it as the first step on a fun journey. Don’t stop writing until you’ve added another question to consider that’s related to the original one.
Any questions?
