Why Questioning is The Key To Business – and Personal – Growth
By Anna Johnson on January 8th, 2010Show me a person who asks lots of questions, and I’ll show you someone who is continuing to learn and grow as a person. This applies to the entrepreneur who is constantly looking for ways to improve their business, and it certainly applies to the individual seeking greater knowledge, understanding and self-actualization in their lives.
It’s no surprise that kids are constantly asking questions: they’re eager to know about the world and themselves. What’s sad is when adults stop asking questions. In my mind, when you start saying to yourself or anyone else, “I don’t want to know” you’re virtually saying, “I don’t want to grow.”
Unfortunately, according to nature, we are either growing or dying. So you know what a decision not to grow means…
Of course, it’s important to ask PRODUCTIVE questions. Someone whose questions are really in the form of a complaint e.g. “why do bad things always happen to me?” with no honest attempt to get an answer (let alone act on it)… is unlikely to STOP bad things happening to them, let alone reach their human potential.
On the other hand, a person who asks “how can I get good things happening to me?” is someone who has embedded the seed of an answer – and action – in their question. Instantly by asking themselves ‘how’ their mind has gone into answer-seeking and action-taking mode.
Indeed, whilst ‘why’ questions may lead to invaluable personal discoveries, it’s asking lots of ‘how’ questions that’s essential for capitalizing on those discoveries.
So keep on asking productive questions – some ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’ and ‘why’ questions – but more importantly, lots of ‘how’ questions. And be sure to keep on asking more questions, even after you find the answers.
It’s asking questions – not settling on answers – that keeps you on the path to further learning and personal growth.
