“If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I know the proper question.   I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.”   Albert Einstein

Asking powerful questions is at the core of what we do as OD consultants and coaches.

Slowing down to allow for the question can be a challenge.   When I am engaged in building a relationship I often want to jump to conclusions and make comments.   I know my extroverted intuitive personality type makes this especially hard — but of course, never an excuse.   We need to understand our limitations and challenges before we can effectively work in teams and successfully solve complex problems.

Action Learning

As a team coach I help by reframing the questions people might be asking to avoid assumptions and to help them to become question askers themselves.  It is important for working teams to be inclusive with a diverse membership as they explore and identify the problem.   Sometimes this can take hours.  It is a process of SLOWING DOWN and asking questions rather than making comments. A qualified facilitator or coach can help teams to make this transition in a safe environment.   With practice this can become a more natural and desired process before jumping into potentially the wrong action.

What I am saying here is that several hours in front of the collective minds of a few beginners working towards a common goal could have more impact than one hour listening to the wisdom being handing down by the expert.  Now, that is not to say that a group of fumblers muddling through theories together with an expert lurking nearby for guidance isn’t also ideal.

How do you learn?

Or better, how do you learn when it really sticks and stays with you?

Don’t overlook the fumbling process.  Real learning takes time.  Those of us who are addicted to immediate results will prefer the short version supplied by the expert.  This has its place.  When baking a cake all you need to know is the facts, the ingredients, the tools, measurements and the timing.  But when we are engaged in having to change our behaviors, learn how to bake the better cake or learn how to draw potential clients to our services there is no tried and true, one size fits all, top ten list to step us through to our ultimate goal.  Ideally in these situations our goal will shift and change with our deeper learning along the way.  A combination of brainstorming with colleagues, trial and error, some sound advice, sought after constructive feedback, and most of all, sometimes lengthy sessions of self-reflection will lead us down the new path that seems to be calling to the answer an expert could never know about.

Have you surrounded yourself by a support team?

Does your support group or confidants value the fumbling process?

Do you find yourselves jumping to quickly into an action you find you need to back out of later?

What are you learning in the process?