Canadian Government Executive - Volume 24 - Issue 06

Carpenters and electricians have tools: hammers, saws, pliers, plungers and flashlights. So, do man- agers: questions. But we often fail to see them as tools – fail to arm ourselves in various situations with the right questions. In The Book of Beautiful Questions (https:// www.bloomsbury.com/us/the-book-of-beautiful- questions-9781632869586/), journalist Warren Berger helps, offering a host of questions for bet- ter decision-making, sparking creativity, connect- ing with others, and stronger leadership. “Having strong questioning skills has always been impor- tant. But in a time of exponential change, it’s a 21st Century survival skill. From an individual career standpoint, continued success will depend on having the ability to keep learning while up- dating and adapting what we already know. We must continually invent or reinvent the work we do every day. None of this is possible without con- stant questioning,” he writes. But we resist or forget. A prime enemy of ques- tioning is fear. As youngsters, we were fearless questioners. But then parents, teachers and other kids sent us a message that asking questions car- ries risks. So, we hold back, afraid of asking the wrong question. Another big enemy of questioning, ironically, is knowledge. “The more you know, the less you feel the need to ask,” he notes. Of course, we don’t know as much as we think we know, and we lose the chance to improve. Time also holds us back. We assume there isn’t enough time for questions. “We’re under pressure to make quick decisions and render snap deci- sions, and to do, do, do – without necessarily ask- ing why we’re doing what we’re doing or whether we should be doing it at all,” he says. Calling himself a “questionologist,” he urges you when facing decisions to think of your question- ing skills as a flashlight and the decision ahead of you as a dark room. Every question illuminates a new area, and the better the question, the more light it sheds. Snap decisions can go awry, and so he suggests in such situations asking these four questions to check up on yourself: • What am I inclined to believe on this particular issue? Start by trying to articulate your beliefs. • Why do I believe what I believe? Nobel-Prize winning physicist Amos Penzias called this the “jugular question” because it forces you to con- sider the basis of your beliefs. • Why would I like it to be true? Wishing and hop- ing does not lead to great decisions, so examine your real motivation. • What if the opposite is true? In the 86th episode of Seinfeld, George Costanza met some success do- ing the complete opposite of what he would do normally. You can benefit from the same formula. To deal with hubris, he has four intellectual humil- ity questions that help bring you down to earth: • Do I tend to think more like a soldier or a scout? Julia Galef, co-founder of the Center for Applied Rationality, says a soldier’s job is to protect and defend against enemy, whereas a scout’s purpose is to explore and discover. Which mindset tends to prevail in your decision-making? Asking this question routinely can illuminate when your mindset is leading you in a bad direction. • Would I rather be right, or would I rather un- derstand? Wanting to be right leads to defen- siveness and can wall you off from learning and understanding. This question blends well with Stephen Covey’s recommended habit: Seek first to understand, then to be understood. • Do I solicit and seek out opposing views? “Don’t ask others if they agree with you – ask if they dis- agree and invite them to say why,” Berger urges. • Do I enjoy the “pleasant surprise” of discover- ing I’m mistaken? Finding out you’re wrong can lead us to feel ashamed. But you can also choose to embrace being mistaken as a pleasant sur- prise, one of openness and growth. He has another series of questions that help you with the common situation of being presented with nonsense or shaky information: • How strong is the evidence? Demand substance for every claim. • What are they not telling me? Sometimes the problem is not the information and evidence be- fore you, but what is being hidden. Focus on that. • Does it logically follow? When people are trying to persuade you, they often offer flawed reason- The Book of Bountiful Questions By Warren Berger Bloomsbury Publishing, 271 pages, $27.00 42 / Canadian Government Executive // December 2018/January 2019 The Leader’s Bookshelf By Harvey Schachter The Book of Bountiful Questions