Ask yourself ‘Why’

Children are encouraged to ask questions and unleash their curiosity but this curiosity often diminishes into adulthood and we stop asking tough questions that help us challenge ourselves.

As a child, I used to ask the question ‘Why’ to the extent that I continue to live with the label of being a ‘Question Bank’ even as an adult. Asking ‘Why’ clarifies my doubts, eliminates confusion, makes me more knowledgeable and gives me a purpose to do what I am doing.

Apple as an inspiration

This is how Apple communicates, “Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently. The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use and user friendly. We just happen to make great computers. Want to buy one?”

People buy Apple products for why they do it and not what they do.

Finding a purpose

My ability to ask the right questions proved to be a strength as a journalist and communicator. It helped me grow personally and professionally and has made me self-aware.

We often assume we are doing the right thing but asking the question ‘Why’ is the most important and powerful question we can ask ourselves. It could lead to uncomfortable answers but will certainly lead to improved performance.

Some Whys I ask myself

As a writer, I never write for myself, I write for my audience. I ask myself, “Why should my audience care?” and think of ideas that my audience really cares about.

When pitching an idea to a journalist or an editor, I ask myself, "Why does my pitch deserve consideration?" and I pitch in a clear and concise way.

When working on communications strategy, I ask myself, “Why will this strategy work?” and list the reasons why it will work even before I start. 

While analyzing a campaign, I ask myself, “Why did this campaign work?” or “Why didn’t this campaign work?” This gives me an insight into what went well and what could have been done better.

When customizing my resume and writing a cover letter to apply for a job, asking myself, “Why should I apply for this job?” and “Why should this company hire me?” makes me articulate my thoughts better.

When I am rejected for a job, I keep an eye out on who got the job and I ask myself ‘Why didn’t I get that job?” This helps me identify the gap, motivates me to bridge the gap and acquire skills required to make myself more attractive to the hiring manager once that role opens up again.

When vying a promotion, a raise or a bonus, I ask myself, “Why should I get it?” This motivates me to perform better. I revisit a while later and ask myself “Why did I or did I not get it?” and continue to improve my performance and go above and beyond the call of duty.

As a customer, I ask myself, “Why should I buy this product?” to become an informed buyer who makes better buying decisions based on its use, the origin of the product and if it is sustainable.

The world is not perfect. There are a host of issues like war, famine, poverty, human trafficking, environmental issues and so on. Asking the question ‘Why do these things take place?" has led me towards volunteering so that I can make a difference in my own little way.

Some Whys you can ask yourself

When working in sales, ask yourself, “Why did you lose the sale?” or “Why did the prospect buy the product from the competition?”

When working in product management, ask yourself, “Why do customers need this additional feature?”

When playing a sport, asking yourself, “Why did that team perform better?” to learn about ways to improve your own performance.

These are just examples of some questions. The bottom line is if you consistently ask yourself ‘Why’, you will discover your answer and learn valuable lessons that will improve your performance.