01) "Courageous" questions to overcome fear of failure.
ü What would I try if I
knew I could not fail?
Start
with this favourite Silicon Valley question to help identify bold
possibilities.
ü What is the worst that
could happen?
This
may seem negative, but the question forces you to confront hazy fears and
consider them in a more specific way (which usually makes them less scary).
ü If I did fail, what would
be the likely causes?
Do
a "premortem" on a possible failure, listing some of the potential
causes; this tells you what pitfalls to avoid.
ü ... and how would I
recover from that failure?
Just thinking about how you would pick up the
pieces if you did fail tends to lessen the fear of that possibility.
ü What if I succeed - what
would that look like?
Now
shift from worst-case to best-case scenario. Visualizing success breeds
confidence-and provides motivation for moving forward.
ü How can I take one small
step into the breach?
Consider
whether there are "baby steps" that could lead up to taking a leap.
02) Asking these questions will make you a better listener.
ü Just to be clear, are you
saying _____?
At
key points, repeat back a paraphrase of what you've heard.
ü Can you explain what you
mean by that?
This
is a classic "clarifying" question used by interviewers to invite
people to better explain themselves. (Tone is important: Go for curious, not
puzzled or antagonistic.)
ü I imagine that made you
feel, right?
A
variation of How did it make you feel? (Which sounds too much like a
psychiatrist's question).
ü And what else?
The
"AWE" question may be the best way to draw out deeper insights and
keep you in listening mode.
03) To find your big idea, ask these questions.
ü What stirs me?
To
find a "problem" that's worth devoting your creative efforts to
solve, start with a high interest level - meaning it touches on something that
matters to you.
ü What bugs me?
Frustration
is the starting point for many innovations and creative breakthroughs.
ü What's missing?
Whereas
the previous question may focus on existing problems or inadequacies, this one
focuses on the absence of something - a product that doesn't exist but should,
a need not addressed, a perspective that is underrepresented.
ü What do I keep coming
back to?
Pay
attention to recurring themes that keep coming up in your work or even in your
conversation. It may be a sign that your big idea is trying to find you.
ü What is ripe for
reinvention?
It
could be a product but also a classic story, a theme, or a genre.
04) Six questions to help you find your passion.
ü What is my tennis ball?
Identify
"the thing that pulls you" ... that holds the potential to engage you
as single-mindedly as a dog chasing a tennis ball. (Drew Houston)
ü What makes me forget to
eat?
If
it matters to you more than food, that says a lot. (Mark Manson)
ü What did I enjoy doing at
age ten?
By
looking back into the past, you may get a glimpse of what you should do going
forward. (Eric Maisel)
ü What are my superpowers?
Take
inventory of "the combination of personality traits and aptitudes you bring
effortlessly to any situation." (Keith Yamashita)
ü In what way do I wish the
world were different?
This
question "puts the focus where it should be-on how you can serve other
people." (Angela Duckworth)
ü What is my sentence?
This
question helps you distill purpose to its essence by formulating a single
sentence that sums up who you are and what, above all, you aim to achieve.
(Daniel Pink)
05) Before you criticize someone, ask yourself these questions.
ü What's motivating this
critical urge?
ü How am I guilty of the
thing I'm criticizing?
ü How would I react if
someone said something similar to me?
ü What positive result do I
hope will come of saying this?
ü Am I deriving pleasure
from criticizing?
06) Asking these "four whys" will help you understand any problem.
ü Why does this problem
matter?
Use
research to clarify what is at stake by digging deeper into who is affected and
how. Consider the significance of that, in terms of overall effect and future
ramifications.
ü Why does the problem
exist?
Try
to get to the root causes that put this problem into motion. (This may
necessitate additional "whys" to get all the way down to the root.)
ü Why hasn't it been solved
already?
This
will make clear the obstacles you are up against (and may uncover past efforts
that hold lessons).
ü Why might that change
now?
What
are the conditions and dynamics that might bring about a desired change?
