When I was young, I would tirelessly ask my parents questions. About everything. And in the 80s-90s, there was no internet, so they had to get really creative!
And to this day, I have never stopped asking questions.
Most of them are about the history of things and how things work or are hypothetical or philosophical in nature. It is no wonder I worked in a dozen industries before I was 22, made a career in connecting people and process and leading change, and married a history buff, poli-sci graduate, and sci-fi lover (who has had to answer my constant questions for going on 22 years)!
At the end of the day, I want to know enough information so that I can connect the dots. I have found asking myself good questions puts my brain to work even while I am doing other things. The way I see it, we can’t break the foundation of something and put it back together better unless we understand what it is we are breaking. I have a deep belief that nothing should be done the way it is just because it has always been done that way.
We should question it. We should validate it. Or we should do it better.
This freaks out a lot of people because many think we should not break something if it is not broken. And I am fiercely convinced this is not only a tragically harmful perspective, it specifically works against progress.
Ultimately, you can decide not to change something, but at least make it because you allowed yourself to explore a change to confirm if what is being done is indeed the best option. This explorative mindset is immediately recognizable in people, and they are typically the ones taking on transformational initiatives.
If you are getting involved in a new project at your company or you are trying to level up, take the time to get super curious!
If exploring change doesn’t mean we have to commit to it, then we can look at it as a mindset shift toward accepting that the more curious we are about things the more information we have… which leads to better insights and decisions.
The more you ask, the more you know. It’s that simple!
Start focusing on what you want to accomplish, and consider how many different ways there are to get there. You don’t have to know the answers, you likely won’t, the point is to put your brain to the task of trying to find answers to good questions. It won’t happen overnight, but if you keep asking good questions your subconscious brain will be on the lookout for patterns and information that will point you in the right direction to the answers you need!
