The Questions We Ask Ourselves and Others

The importance and power of questions – I like to think, talk, and write about this relevant topic because asking the right questions is in many situations more important than finding the right answers. What kind of questions do you tend to ask yourself and others? Look at the examples below and reflect on your questions. What kind of assumptions and line of thinking are they based on? What kind of dialogue are your questions really meant to elicit? What is the added value of the conversation that stems from your questions? Below you will find two types of questions that are related to accountability:

Do you tend to ask …	Or do you tend to ask …
Why is this happening to me? à	What part did I possibly play in it all?
Who dropped the ball? à	How can I contribute to a solution?
Why don’t they get it? à	What else do I need to share, explain etc.?
Why do we have to go through all this change? à	How can I better adapt to this ever changing world?
What’s wrong with these people? à	What could I be doing differently?
When will I finally be supported? à	What first steps can I take to get support?
When will department X fix this problem?	What can I start doing to solve the problem

Which questions get you furthest? Which questions empower you? 
Which questions promote your creativity? Which questions inspire others? 
Which questions present you with new perspectives and with energy to act?