Have you ever found yourself wishing you asked a question? 

Walked away with regret that you didn’t ask a mentor, girl, boy, boss/leader, etc a question?

WE ALL DO — it is a fear protection primal mechanism, and frankly it is the one thing you must change. 

If you want a better life — ask the question on your mind and stop leaping to assumptions.

Let’s dive into a specific example ….

How to get a promotion

You raise the bar in the organization. You live beyond politics and uncover base assumptions that need to be refreshed. You do this by practically and respectfully asking the questions running through your mind.

Let’s rewind — who gets promotions? Those who solve problems, move the organization forward, and manage expectations and emotions when the proverbial S**t has hit the fan. 

Therefore if you are looking to make an impact, get a promotion, or just do your best in the hours you are giving in that day. ASK QUESTIONS. Use these to uncover assumptions, confirm context, and then ask questions about the strategy and tactics inflight.

What I have learned here is that the tactics are built on these assumptions. As you progress in the project / task, you’ll see the task may not be the best approach. Only with a deeper understanding (through inquiry questions) on the strategy, can you then challenge and adjust the tactics.

Adjusting tactics to continually realign with strategy as your project progresses, will ultimately lead to the intended result. A successful endeavor, and one that is more fun because everyone arrives together.

How can I give you value

I ask this question all of the time. I ask it of my friends, the baristas, my team, my customers, clients, and all others. Why — it’s basic. I don’t know what they need or where they are in the current life.

So — I just ask. 

What I see — Some clients want quick acknowledgements and are happy to wait for the right answer. Others want lots of details about everything, as they are curious by nature. Some days folks clearly will benefit if you just help them clean-up and others need bigger actions.

Some examples of what I have done recently:

  • I brought ‘Deviled Eggs’ to a server at a restaurant who needed them for a family get together, but was strained by needing to close the restaurant, pick up their daughter, and then drive the two hours.
  • Wiped down tables at a local coffee shop as the staff was dealing with some broken equipment and as a result they had a better shift
  • Begun sitting down every other month with young adults who are graduating in a year or two, and simply sharing tactics and habits to adopt so they can achieve their career ambitions — when they are ready to take that leap
  • I ran into traffic to grab someone’s lunchbox (literally a lunchbox) that they had left on their car and drove into traffic… they got it back, and all was good.

The simplicity here is … I don’t have to guess what they need. I listen and then do what is needed. I am not looking for anything in return, just glad to do it. It makes me feel good to have helped.

Communication is your weapon to win

One of the major errors that businesses, relationships, and family is communication. Namely NOT communicating. If your mind is floating through questions and attaching assumptions, I can guarantee you — others in this conversation are doing the same.

Imagine all the variations that must be brewing behind the scene — too many and odds are not in your favor that all are aligned.

Ask the damn question in your heart, please.

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About Me

I am a father, study of human behavior, strategist, cybersecurity executive, and a coach and mentor on a journey to give more than I receive everyday. I lead teams globally, build products, and daily an executive for a leading company where I serve the largest companies in the world using the largest cloud deployments in the world impacting the financial services, healthcare, and fintech industries. I provide these publications and content through my media agency to deliver insights and advantages. Mindset, mental strength, mentorship, personal improvement, health, fitness, and humanist ideas are drawn from personal research and practice. Everything read and heard is my original works and my own perspective. All rights reserved for noted authors and sources. I produce research and strategy, as well as provide advisory services that include inquiries, briefings, consulting projects, and presentations on published findings as well as bespoke speaking engagements where I often keynote at conferences, seminars, and roundtables annually.

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