Comments on: The power of naive questions. http://www.hooversbiz.com/2008/02/13/the-power-of-naive-questions/ Individuals — Companies — Industries: How We Work Now. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:25:04 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Tim Walker http://www.hooversbiz.com/2008/02/13/the-power-of-naive-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-13974 Tim Walker Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:42:36 +0000 http://www.hooversbiz.com/2008/02/13/the-power-of-naive-questions/#comment-13974 Absolutely, Peter -- break it down for me so I CAN'T misunderstand you. That's the level of responsibility the best communicators and clearest thinkers take on. Thanks for the comment! Absolutely, Peter — break it down for me so I CAN’T misunderstand you.

That’s the level of responsibility the best communicators and clearest thinkers take on.

Thanks for the comment!

]]> By: Peter Nelson http://www.hooversbiz.com/2008/02/13/the-power-of-naive-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-13973 Peter Nelson Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:26:51 +0000 http://www.hooversbiz.com/2008/02/13/the-power-of-naive-questions/#comment-13973 I always liked the line that Denzel Washington's character in the movie "Philadelphia" used. "Tell it to me like I'm a 3 year old." For me this is a way of injecting that naive angle back into the person providing the "knowledge" to answer the question. I always liked the line that Denzel Washington’s character in the movie “Philadelphia” used. “Tell it to me like I’m a 3 year old.” For me this is a way of injecting that naive angle back into the person providing the “knowledge” to answer the question.

]]> By: Cheryl McLaughlin http://www.hooversbiz.com/2008/02/13/the-power-of-naive-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-13895 Cheryl McLaughlin Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:05:36 +0000 http://www.hooversbiz.com/2008/02/13/the-power-of-naive-questions/#comment-13895 Tim, I'm so glad you wrote this post. The naive questions are the most powerful and get us down to the basic stuff that works. My favorite naive question was asked by a faculty member on my doctoral committee: SO WHAT? So what if you have this idea for a project or a dissertation. What difference does it make? If you can answer that question, you have an idea - a project - worth doing. By the way, Morgan Stewart of Email Insider turned me onto this post. Cheers, Cheryl McLaughlin McLaughlin Human Performance Institute Tim,
I’m so glad you wrote this post. The naive questions are the most powerful and get us down to the basic stuff that works.

My favorite naive question was asked by a faculty member on my doctoral committee: SO WHAT?
So what if you have this idea for a project or a dissertation. What difference does it make? If you can answer that question, you have an idea – a project – worth doing.

By the way, Morgan Stewart of Email Insider turned me onto this post.

Cheers,
Cheryl McLaughlin
McLaughlin Human Performance Institute

]]> By: Frank Dobner http://www.hooversbiz.com/2008/02/13/the-power-of-naive-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-13890 Frank Dobner Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:12:31 +0000 http://www.hooversbiz.com/2008/02/13/the-power-of-naive-questions/#comment-13890 Very good article. It is a good reason why working alone is so problematic. It is hard for one person to totally know theyself. According to Abraham Maslow, whereas the average individuals “often have not the slightest idea of what they are, of what they want, of what their own opinions are,” self-actualizing individuals have “superior awareness of their own impulses, desires, opinions, and subjective reactions in general.” Frank Dobner Very good article. It is a good reason why working alone is so problematic. It is hard for one person to totally know theyself.

According to Abraham Maslow, whereas the average individuals “often have not the slightest idea of what they are, of what they want, of what their own opinions are,” self-actualizing individuals have “superior awareness of their own impulses, desires, opinions, and subjective reactions in general.”

Frank Dobner

]]> By: The Basic Basics: Solve someone’s problem. -- Hoover’s Business Insight Zone http://www.hooversbiz.com/2008/02/13/the-power-of-naive-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-13648 The Basic Basics: Solve someone’s problem. -- Hoover’s Business Insight Zone Fri, 02 Jan 2009 20:56:05 +0000 http://www.hooversbiz.com/2008/02/13/the-power-of-naive-questions/#comment-13648 [...] you finish reading this, pull back and ask yourself some of the naive questions that have animated great business leaders from the Fuggers to Henry [...] [...] you finish reading this, pull back and ask yourself some of the naive questions that have animated great business leaders from the Fuggers to Henry [...]

]]> By: How will we know when we win? -- Hoover’s Business Insight Zone http://www.hooversbiz.com/2008/02/13/the-power-of-naive-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-8234 How will we know when we win? -- Hoover’s Business Insight Zone Thu, 05 Jun 2008 16:00:40 +0000 http://www.hooversbiz.com/2008/02/13/the-power-of-naive-questions/#comment-8234 [...] The power of naive questions. [...] [...] The power of naive questions. [...]

]]> By: Seth Gottlieb http://www.hooversbiz.com/2008/02/13/the-power-of-naive-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-6172 Seth Gottlieb Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:38:50 +0000 http://www.hooversbiz.com/2008/02/13/the-power-of-naive-questions/#comment-6172 "Who is the customer?" Then "What business are we in?" “Who is the customer?”

Then

“What business are we in?”

]]> By: You don’t need better technology. -- Hoover’s Business Insight Zone http://www.hooversbiz.com/2008/02/13/the-power-of-naive-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-6115 You don’t need better technology. -- Hoover’s Business Insight Zone Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:31:04 +0000 http://www.hooversbiz.com/2008/02/13/the-power-of-naive-questions/#comment-6115 [...] what these folks really need is to get a grip on themselves. To ask themselves hard, basic questions about what their real work is and what they need to do to accomplish it. They need to examine [...] [...] what these folks really need is to get a grip on themselves. To ask themselves hard, basic questions about what their real work is and what they need to do to accomplish it. They need to examine [...]

]]> By: Rachel Happe http://www.hooversbiz.com/2008/02/13/the-power-of-naive-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-5961 Rachel Happe Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:58:46 +0000 http://www.hooversbiz.com/2008/02/13/the-power-of-naive-questions/#comment-5961 Great post - I don't think we do enough of this...because of the pride/embarrassment/experience factor. As a technology analyst I try to ask a lot of basic questions because I find I learn more by hearing companies' responses and I learn a lot about the executives that I speak with...but it is also a little un-nerving because as analysts we are often expected to be the ones with the answers so I'm never quite sure what impression I leave. I particularly like the 'Why' questions - Why is it valuable? Why did you target the problem you choose? Why does the product do that? Why is this important? Thanks for the post! Great post – I don’t think we do enough of this…because of the pride/embarrassment/experience factor. As a technology analyst I try to ask a lot of basic questions because I find I learn more by hearing companies’ responses and I learn a lot about the executives that I speak with…but it is also a little un-nerving because as analysts we are often expected to be the ones with the answers so I’m never quite sure what impression I leave.

I particularly like the ‘Why’ questions –

Why is it valuable?
Why did you target the problem you choose?
Why does the product do that?
Why is this important?

Thanks for the post!

]]> By: One big workflow. -- Hoover’s Business Insight Zone http://www.hooversbiz.com/2008/02/13/the-power-of-naive-questions/comment-page-1/#comment-5522 One big workflow. -- Hoover’s Business Insight Zone Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:17:11 +0000 http://www.hooversbiz.com/2008/02/13/the-power-of-naive-questions/#comment-5522 [...] The avoidance of awkward “naive questions.” [...] [...] The avoidance of awkward “naive questions.” [...]

]]>