Page Title

Ask Silly Questions

March 4, 2003

"There's never such thing as a silly question, even if it sounds silly at the time.  The question you ask may have never been asked before; or if it was, perhaps the timing has changed and the idea is now more viable.

Especially in changing times, the way things have always been done in the past may not be the best way to continue doing them in the future; and there's no better way to find out than to ask.

Ask questions about why things are done as they are.  Ask what happens before the work gets to you and where it goes after you are done.  Ask your customers if they value the features or services that are being provided - and if they are willing to pay more for those benefits.  Ask  others if they could make a change in how things were done, what would it be?  Ask your manager how you could be a better employee (Nelson, 2001, pp. 24-25)."

Reference:  Nelson, B. (2001).  Please don't just do what I tell you! do what needs to be done: every employee's guide to making work more rewarding.  New York:  Hyperion.

What questions are you asking at work?

Please Don't Just Do What I Tell You! is available on loan from the Ohio State University Leadership Center.  A complete listing of all the Leadership Center's resources is available on our website http://leadershipcenter.osu.edu/

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Created: 2008-12-22, Updated: 2009-01-09