Professional Development
Questions drive progress

Unlocking Strategic Thinking Through the Power of Questions
*The following is an excerpt from my new book, STRATEGIC.
Have you ever noticed how the most engaging conversations, captivating films, and innovative companies all have one thing in common? They are sparked by thought-provoking questions that ignite curiosity and drive creativity. Questions like “What if we move to the west coast?” or “What if you could have 100 million songs in the palm of your hand?” have the power to transport us to mental oases where innovation thrives and challenges are solved.
It’s surprising how little time we actually spend pondering questions, considering the profound impact they can have. Research shows that young children ask about 100 questions per day, but as we grow older, this number dwindles. By the time we reach adulthood, our inclination to question diminishes significantly. In fact, in many workplaces, the focus is often on finding quick solutions rather than exploring the right questions.
Albert Einstein famously said, “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I would spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.” This highlights the importance of investing time in formulating the right questions to shape a challenge effectively.
Embracing Combinatorial Thinking for Innovation
Great thinkers like Einstein understood the power of questions in driving innovation. By taking the time to craft and contemplate questions, we can connect diverse ideas and foster combinatorial thinking, which is at the core of innovation. Companies like Spotify and Airbnb are prime examples of combinatorial thinking, blending different concepts to create groundbreaking products and services.
Techniques for Using Questions to Foster Innovation
1. Create a question log.
Keep a log of questions that arise throughout your day and categorize them for future reference. This will help you cultivate a habit of asking thought-provoking questions that can lead to innovative solutions.
2. Demand storms.
In group settings, encourage individuals to generate questions related to a specific challenge. By sharing and discussing these questions, you can stimulate productive conversations and uncover new insights.
3. SCAMPER.
Utilize the SCAMPER technique to prompt innovative thinking by asking questions related to substitution, combination, adaptation, magnification, reimagining uses, elimination, and inversion/rearrangement. This method can spark creativity and lead to novel solutions.
As a leader, it is essential to embrace the role of an explorer and delve into uncharted territory by asking probing questions. While presenting solutions may seem safer, true magic lies in the process of questioning and exploring the unknown. By investing time in formulating the right questions, you can unlock new possibilities and drive strategic thinking to propel your team forward. Are you ready to embark on this journey of discovery through questioning?
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