The Art of Inquiry

By Jillian Broaddus and Chuck Cusumano

There are countless pieces of advice for getting ahead in business and advancing your career… Take initiative.  Be open.  Have a growth mindset.  Invest in learning.  Network.  Find mentors.  Seek feedback.

The list goes on and on.  But, as we started contemplating these tried-and-true tips, we found a fundamental theme that ties everything together and a necessary skill that underlies them all: the ability to ask good questions!

Don’t just take our anecdotal word for it; Harvard backs it up.  A Harvard study found that asking just one extra question per conversation led to one more positive outcome (e.g., securing a second interview or job offer), on average, and led to better decision-making outcomes.  After all, asking intelligent questions has been shown to make us more likeable and help us learn—both attributes that open up the door for opportunities to fall into our laps.  Additional research shows that those who understand the importance of professional questions earn approximately 40% more income over the course of their careers.  Money doesn’t just talk… money asks questions!

So, if asking questions is so beneficial on an individual level, what happens when you build a question-friendly culture throughout your entire organization?

Let us share a few… Question-friendly work cultures:

• Experience more innovation: Questions examine existing processes, challenge the status quo, and ultimately lead to improvements.  Of course, if you always do things how you’ve always done things, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten!  Questions lead to positive change.

• Encourage deeper levels of communication: When team members feel safe to question authority and each other, transparent conversations, reduced misunderstandings, and new levels of collaboration take place.

• Inspire creative and effective problem-solving: Embracing inquiry inspires diverse perspectives, leading to more inventive solutions.

• Builds critical-thinking skills: Iron sharpens iron, and a culture with regular, meaningful questions will encourage all employees to develop growth mindsets.

• Creates trust amongst team members: When questions are welcomed, employees feel respected and heard.  This psychological safety strengthens team bonds and overall organizational morale.

How have you fostered a question culture, and how can we continue to help?  Let us know at hello@thejoshuagroup.net!