Do you feel reluctant when you think about asking a question?
Take a moment to think about how many questions you wanted to ask today and didn’t. Were you too busy to ask or were you concerned with how your question would be received? What you may not have given much thought to before now is what not asking a question is costing you. There may be actual financial costs, or there may be costs to a relationship you have in your business or friendship. Or maybe a decision you’re about to make is lacking clarity, and perhaps clarity could be greater if you had been willing to ask a few more questions.
We sometimes think there just isn’t enough time to ask more questions; we may feel we just have to get on with it. I can promise you, 2 minutes of clarity as a result of asking questions, can save months of recovery from a bad decision and maybe even thousands of dollars. I’ve seen both of these outcomes.
Asking a question of someone could give you that one additional insight you didn’t even know you needed, until it landed in your lap. I’ve had that experience and felt the gratitude of having that one extra piece of information.
Maybe you want to ask a question of someone who through the questioning process becomes a great partner in a project. All kinds of great ideas can come about by just being willing to be open to the possibilities.
Questions create openness and possibility. When there are no questions asked, the subject is closed. Closed can be dark, openness creates light. It’s through the light we get clarity. Remember the song, “I can see clearly now.”
These three simple ideas can help you overcome your reluctance to asking a question.
- As soon as a question comes to mind, ask it. Do not hesitate. “He who hesitates is lost.”
- Asking a question keeps you out of making assumptions and gives you accurate information, so you know what you are dealing with.
- When you ask a question that doesn’t get you the information you want, just ask another question.