Early in my career, I was hired to oversee the implementation of a grant-funded medical records system. I had just graduated with my bachelor’s degree, and this was one of my first large-scale, highly complex projects.
I eagerly jumped in. One of the first things I embarked upon was a review of the budget, which was prepared and controlled by another department. After a few hours examining the details, I noticed a large discrepancy that could quickly derail the project. I conveyed my findings and concerns, expecting an “attaboy,” but instead got a sharp rebuke stating among other things that “we don’t want too many cooks in the kitchen.” The message came through loud and clear from the department head herself: How dare you question me; we are the experts, you are new and inexperienced. In the end, we eventually worked it out, and I was commended for being conservative with the budget to keep the project from failing. But I will never forget how the initial response made me feel and left me wondering how to proceed.

 

WE'RE ALL HUNGRY FOR BETTER ANSWERS. BUT FIRST, WE MUST LEARN TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.

One of the worst disasters in aviation history could have been prevented had the cockpit culture not been so deferential to rank, expertise, and had ego been kept in check.

 

QUESTIONS ARE A POWERFUL ANTIDOTE TO HUBRIS.

Intent-based action is one of the tools we use on our team. This not only allows for competent team-members to quickly move forward with a clearly defined purpose, but it also provides an opportunity for questions from other teammates (either out of concern or for learning). Let’s briefly revisit the moment of epiphany for Captain Marquet, who originated intent-based leadership embodied in the phrase “I intend to.”

 

I nudged Bill and suggested we increase speed from "ahead 1/3" to "ahead 2/3" on the EPM to give the nuclear-trained enlisted men a sense of urgency.

 

"Ahead 2/3," he ordered.

 

Nothing happened.

 

The helmsman should have reached over and rung up ahead 2/3. Instead,
I could see him squirming in his chair. No one said anything, and several awkward seconds passed. Noting that the order hadn't been carried out,
I asked the helmsman what was going on. He was facing his panel but reported over his shoulder, "Captain, there is no ahead 2/3 on the EPM!"

 

I had made a mistake. I'd been shifted to command Santa Fe at the last minute, and unlike every other submarine I'd been on, there was only a 1/3 on the EPM.

 

I applauded the helmsman and grabbed Bill, the officer on deck. In the corner of the control room, I asked him if he knew there was no ahead 2/3 on the EPM.

 

"Yes, Captain, I did."

 

"Well, why did you order it?" I asked astounded.

 

"Because you told me to."

 

Questioning – deeply, imaginatively, "beautifully" – can help us identify and solve problems, come up with game-changing ideas, and pursue fresh opportunities. So why are we often reluctant to ask, "Why?" There are often gorillas in the room that require a unique perspective to be seen and thus go unnoticed by leaders and other team members.

 

CHERISH THE DISSENSION. IF EVERYONE THINKS LIKE YOU, YOU DON'T NEED THEM.

Good questions invite possibility, curiosity, and wonder rather than doubt. They are fundamentally subversive, disruptive, and playful. You don’t have to hold a position of power to ask a powerful question, and the people with the most powerful questions (framed properly, of course) stand to make the most impact. Questions create conversations, and those conversations are how thriving groups think up their future together and stay true to their core.

 

All too often, we perceive questions as an affront; to our expertise, our knowledge, our dedication, or whatever it may be. This triggers basal fight or flight instincts. We need to consciously change our mindset to one where questions are seen as an opportunity to innovate, learn, explore, create enduring value, and educate.

 

So again, I say, “How dare you NOT question me!”

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Adam Waldron, Director of Information Services

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