6 success questions you must ask

Progress and innovation – and ultimately success – are significantly influenced by questions which have been asked. Either asked out of necessity or out of general curiosity.

Unfortunately many of us have forgotten how to ask questions. Others have become too lazy to ask them. And again others might not have many opportunities to raise questions or are afraid of doing so. Why?

Let´s face it: Our education systems, way of life, and even the business world is not geared toward questions. Moreover, we often tend to address topics in a superficial manner by asking questions which rather test and reward knowledge (mostly using closed questions) than stimulating inquisitiveness (applying e.g. open questions).

To flip that I suggest to apply the following set of powerful questions both in personal and professional settings:

The WHY? Question
This should be the very first question to be asked. It encourages you to step back. It makes you think about the deeper purpose, the vision, and the need for change. Restless and successful companies, often also start-ups, are true Why Question Masters. Examples:
“Why am I doing that?“
“Why have they chosen this color?“
“Why are we doing it this way?“
“Why are we in this business?“

The WHY NOT? Question
It´s more than just the opposite of the „Why?“ question. It is about overcoming resistance. Your own inner one and/ or objections from others who challenge your thinking and ideas. Examples:
“Why am I not stopping it right now?“
“Why are we not selling dog food instead of cars?“
“Why might our customers not like this offer?“

The What If? and What If Not? Questions
These questions take us further in the decision making process. They make our ideas more real and bring them closer to a possible implementation. They also help us to find out which answer and solution is the most adequate one. And which ones might not be suitable at all. Examples:
“What if we were to do it like x or y?“
“What if money were no issue?“
“What if I did not run this project?“
“What if our company were not to compete in this market segment“

The What Else? Question
This is a crucial question which frequently and easily is forgotten. Still, it´s key as it motivates us to change our perspective even more drastically. It assists to continue to ponder on different options and on possible alternatives. It stimulates us to think in bolder terms and to further peel the onion. Examples:
“What else can we do?“
“What else would Warren Buffet do?“
“What else can product X deliver?“
“What else do our customers expect?“

The How? Question
This is the second last question. Usually also the most difficult one as it bridges the creative and strategic thinking and questioning process with more operational aspects, questions, and tasks. Examples:
“How I can I improve my life by doing this?“
“How can we best launch the product“
“How would Peter or Sarah do it? How would company X do it? How would they do it in another industry?“

The Who? and When?/ By When? Questions
Finally, and to ensure implementation of our answers, ideas, and concepts we need to raise these two sets of closed questions (note: do not ask any closed question any earlier than at this stage of the evaluation process). Examples:
“Who will take care of such customer complaints?“
“When can we deliver it?“
“By when will Fred have changed the material?“

Regrettably, asking the right questions is typically not taught in schools or MBA programs. Using questioning in your daily life, i.e. using the right questions to overcome fear of failure, bringing more alteration to your life, and helping you uncover what you really want to do with your life is very powerful and assists in triggering improvements and innovations.

Today´s speedy business world often considers asking questions as a waste of time and a distraction from executing. I´m a general supporter of the “just do it and bias for action“ mentality. At the same time, I believe in thinking, analyzing, reviewing and drafting a thorough strategy.

And to do that in a solid and comprehensive manner, we firstly need to ask the right questions. Or, in other words:

He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever. (Chinese Proverb)

This article is published in collaboration with LinkedIn. Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum.

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Author: Andreas von der Heydt is the Head of Kindle Content at Amazon

Image: Hays Recruitment Consultancy Section Manager Ignacio Ramos (L) interviews Vicente Balmaseda at the Hays offices in downtown Madrid December 5, 2008. Balmaseda, 36, lost his job as a conference stand designer six months ago. Tensions mounting between native job-seekers and immigrants competing for a declining pool of work in Spain will intensify in 2009 as generous benefits for those laid off reach the end of their fixed terms. Picture taken December 5, 2008. To match feature SPAIN-JOBLESS/ REUTERS/Susana Vera (SPAIN) – RTR22YRK