Ask More Why Questions

One of the advises about how to get ahead of the pack that I got is to ask to right questions when facing a decision or in a group discussion. A recent article in the Computerworld magazine echoed the same suggestion.

This is easier said than done. We are so wired to be the answer people. Since the kindergarden days, we were so conditioned to answer the questions that were asked by our teacher. The first one that can answer the question correctly is often time recognized and rewarded.

In the working world, most of us under utilize our critical thinking ability. We don't ask enough of the "Why" questions. Maybe we don't want to spend the time to scrutinize the issue or assume that our concerns are already addressed by others. Or we don't want others to think that we ask too many questions. The key is to ask the right question at the right time. Here are a few rules that was suggested in the Computerworld magazine:

1. Prioritize your questions - handle the most threatening things first.
2. Why question should precede what, how, who and when questions.

Furthering one's career requires dedication to utilize more of our critical thinking ability so we can start asking good questions.