Overheard a couple at the coffee shop talking about 'asking the right question'

I was grabbing a latte yesterday and the people at the next table were deep in a talk about a work problem. One said, 'We spent a week trying to fix the wrong thing because we asked the wrong question first.' That really stuck with me (you know, like how I sometimes jump to solutions before I even know the full problem). It made me think about how I approach my own stuff, like when a client can't decide on a house. Do you have a trick for figuring out the real question you should be asking before you start trying to answer it?

3 comments

3 Comments

mary37225d agoMost Upvoted

That's such a good point, it's like we're all trained to find answers fast but not to stop and question the question first. I mean, I see it all the time with my friends trying to pick a restaurant, they'll argue over the type of food when the real issue is someone's budget or how far they're willing to drive. Maybe it's just me but taking a second to ask 'what's actually bothering us here' before jumping in saves so much time and headache. It's a hard habit to build though, my brain always wants to skip to the fix.

danielhenderson25d ago

Exactly. @mary372 you nailed it. That restaurant example is perfect. We all do it. Jump right to fighting over pizza or tacos. But the real problem is always something else. Like someone only has twenty bucks. Or needs to be home in an hour. Fixing the wrong thing just makes everyone mad. Gotta force yourself to stop and ask what's really wrong first.

kelly_schmidt25d ago

Totally get what you mean, @mary372. It's like we're all in a rush to solve the puzzle without checking if we even have the right pieces. I catch myself doing the same thing when planning anything with a group, just charging ahead. That pause to ask the real question is a game changer once you remember to do it.