Exercise your “why” muscle – ask “why” questions often
In business, it’s important to be able to understand why things are the way they are. This is especially true when it comes to working with employees. If you want to get the most out of your team, you need to understand their motivations and why they do the things they do.
One way to do this is to exercise your “why” muscle. This means asking “why” questions often. When you ask “why,” you’re essentially asking for the root cause of something. For example, if an employee is struggling with a task, you might ask them “why” they’re struggling. Their answer might be that they don’t understand the task, or that they don’t have the necessary skills. Once you understand the root cause of the problem, you can start to address it.
Asking “why” questions can also be helpful in hiring. When you’re interviewing a candidate, you can ask them “why” questions to get a better understanding of their motivations and why they’re interested in the job. For example, you might ask them “why” they’re interested in your company, or “why” they’re interested in the position they’re applying for. Their answers can give you valuable insights into their personality and fit for the role.
Tips For Asking Good “Why” Questions
Here are some tips for asking “why” questions effectively:
- Be specific – Don’t just ask “why.” Ask “why” about something specific. For example, instead of asking “why are you interested in this job?”, you could ask “why are you interested in this specific position at our company?”
- Be open-ended – Don’t ask questions that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”. Ask questions that require the person to think and explain their answer.
- Listen carefully – When someone answers your “why” question, listen carefully to their answer. Don’t interrupt them, and don’t try to argue with them. Just listen and try to understand their perspective.
The Benefits of Asking “Why?” Questions
There are many benefits to asking “why?” questions. Here are a few of the most important ones:
- Improved understanding – Asking “why?” can help you to understand the world around you better. This is because it helps you reason and get to the root cause of things.
- New learning – Asking “why?” can help you to learn new things. This is because it directly leads to new information and may uncover influencing factors you were not aware of.
- Better decision-making – Asking “why?” can help you to make better decisions. This is because it helps you go deeper to understand the pros and cons of different options rather than accepting statements or data at face value.
