In our constant struggle for a better tomorrow, we frequently focus on looking for the best answers, when in reality it is the questions we ask which are most important.
Why, What, Who, Where, How, Which, and When are the only words we need to direct us to what we most desire.
Let’s look at a few examples to see how we can best use these questions:
WHY are you in this world?
WHAT is it you most want to do?
WHO can help you to achieve it?
WHERE can you find what you want?
HOW will you overcome difficulty?
WHICH are your alternatives?
WHEN will you start?
Yogi Berra says, “If we don’t know where we are going, we will end up someplace else.” So as not to get “someplace else,” we need to be clear on where we are headed. When we ask better questions, we get better results.
Let’s look at another example related to customer service:
WHY should you give better customer service?
WHAT can you do to give better customer service?
WHO do you know who give the service you would like to give?
WHERE can you learn how to give optimum customer service?
HOW will you give better customer service?
WHAT will your strategy be?
WHEN will you start?
For our personal and professional lives, we can get better answers with better questions. When we begin thinking we know it all, it is the beginning of the end.
How are your interpersonal relations?
Like it or not, our lives are made up of relationships with other people. Let’s suppose you have a small problem with someone as a result of a misunderstanding, one of those which are common in our daily lives. Let’s cast our magic words upon the situation to see if we can conjure up a solution.
WHY are you bothered?
WHAT caused the the misunderstanding?
WHO can help you resolve the situation?
WHERE can you find the answer?
HOW will you resolve it?
WHICH action will you take?
When will you start?
As you can see, I have closed each of the sequences with the same question. After having answered the most important questions in our lives and having a clearer vision of our direction, we need to get up and go to make it happen. Dreams are woven in thought and crystallized in action.
∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL III 44