A recent LinkedIn post by a fellow marketing exec, Jo Ann Herold, got me thinking about the best advice I have ever received.
I have been blessed with many wise mentors, coaches, and peers from whom I have learned. It is hard to pick just one piece of advice. That said, one did stand out.
Ask more questions
Maybe like you, I am a time-starved, experienced, and opinionated person who makes their living solving problems, anticipating problems, and rallying others to do the same. So, I am quick with answers. But I have learned (or am learning, to be more accurate) that more is accomplished with questions. Through questioning, root cause can really be established, customer needs can be fully understood, the talent of team members can be brought to bear, and alignment occurs more naturally. Asking “why?” five times is the staple of lean thinking and there is magic in asking questions. As a communicator-at-heart, my tendency to tell or sell can get in my way. I know I am not alone.
The other reason that asking questions is powerful is that there are more things to know than I will ever know. Others have forgotten more about subjects that I don’t know anything about. The pace of innovation, information sharing, and interconnections between us is growing so fast that the only skill or knowledge that any of us can hold for any length of time is the ability to learn and be curious.
I have a sticker on my laptop that says “Ask More Questions” (which my son picked up for me at an Alpha class he attended and thought I would like). It is a good reminder that I could heed more often.