The Power of Asking Dumb Questions

Have you ever dreaded asking a question that you feel is going to sound dumb? At some point we probably all have. We’ve probably all learned from others – asking dumb questions in return. If you don’t ask, you don’t learn. You shouldn’t be afraid to ask either. Straight forward answers and understandings of a problem begin with someone having the courage to ask a ‘dumb’ question.

The Power of Asking Dumb Questions By: JT McCormick, the President, and CEO of Scribe Media. McCormick goes over 3 very important topics.

• The value of “dumb” questions
•  Asking the obvious question
• Learning from questions

 

McCormick shares a rule that he encourages others to follow:

“Here’s a rule I encourage everyone in Scribe to follow. Every time you have a question in your head, and you’re nervous to ask it for fear of looking dumb, assume that there are three to five other people in the room with the same question. Just ask the question”.

Sometimes asking a dumb question helps the receiver learn just as much as the asker. McCormick explains it this way “Either I’m not explaining myself well enough or the person doesn’t care to learn the answer. Both are issues that need to be addressed”.

 “Either I’m not explaining myself well enough or the person doesn’t care to learn the answer. Both are issues that need to be addressed”.

By having an environment where you feel encouraged to ask questions, others learn as well. Sometimes you learn about issues you didn’t even know you had.  Rather than employees being afraid to ask questions, business owners should be more concerned about employees not asking questions.

Good article, worth the read. The Power of Asking Dumb Questions