Living the Questions & Taking Action!

'Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms and like books that are written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now.' - Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

A poem, really??

Yes really, a poem.

I'm currently working on a collaborative project with some Local Authorities here in the UK. This poem was shared during a recent workshop session and it resonated with me immediately.

Why?

Because small business owners and VCSE leaders, often find themselves searching for the perfect answer before moving forward. When actually, as Rilke suggests, the truth is not about having all the answers right away. It's about living the questions, embracing uncertainty, pushing your comfort zone and taking (often imperfect) purposeful action.

Why Ask the Right Questions?

Think about this: Every challenge you face is an opportunity for innovation. If the word 'innovation' makes you nervous, then replace it with 'growth' or 'progress' or 'the resolution of a problem you're facing'.

But whatever you call it, innovation doesn’t happen by waiting for the perfect conditions or answers to appear. It happens when you ask the right questions and then take action, even if you don't know exactly where it will lead. Questions fuel curiosity, and curiosity sparks the courage to explore and experiment - crucial elements of sustaining a business or organisation in these turbulent times.

Design thinking is your tool for this exploration. It's about viewing every problem as an opportunity to create value, and understanding that the journey itself - filled with trial, error, and iteration - is where true growth occurs. Imagine if, instead of focusing on a definitive solution, you focused on understanding your customers' needs deeply, you tested ideas quickly, and were ready to pivot when necessary. That's the magic of asking and living the right questions.

Taking Action Over Passive Learning

Too often, we - I include myself here - can get stuck in a cycle of passive learning - reading books, attending webinars, or waiting for that perfect eureka moment. I get it because I’ve been there myself. I recently decided to shut down two services that were responsible for bringing in thousands of pounds every month. This wasn’t because they were failing, but because they were keeping me from exploring new, more fulfilling paths. It was a tough decision, but it allowed me to redefine my approach and find clarity through action rather than waiting for the 'right' answer.

In my experience, success doesn’t come from having a flawless plan. It comes from doing, testing, failing, and trying again. So when I talk about living the questions, I simply mean embracing the journey and learning in real time. After all, action breeds clarity - not the other way around.

How Can You Implement Design Thinking to Your Benefit Today?

1. Cultivate Curiosity and Embrace New Perspectives: Don’t be afraid to look at things from different angles and challenge the status quo. Great things happen when you’re willing to explore what isn’t working and ask, 'What if we did this differently?' Be part of the small percentage of people who dare to innovate when results aren’t meeting expectations.
2. Prioritise Movement Over Perfection: Rather than waiting for everything to align perfectly, start by taking small steps. Each step forward, no matter how tentative, brings valuable insights. It's not about getting it perfect the first time; it’s about making progress and adjusting as you learn.
3. Create Your Own Path to Success: Design thinking isn’t just a concept; it’s a practice. Use it to dig deep into understanding your customers, experiment with new ideas, and be ready to pivot when necessary. And when you hit a - inevitable! - setback, look at it as a valuable lesson and use it as a building block to your next success.
4. Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Guidance: You don’t have to navigate this journey alone. Sometimes, fresh eyes or an external perspective can help illuminate a new path forward. Seeking advice, mentorship, or a sounding board can accelerate your progress and keep you from getting stuck.

I promise you, living the Questions, and implementing what you've learned is your path to innovation, growth, and success.

Remember, the goal isn’t to find all the answers immediately but to live the questions fully. By doing so, you will naturally find answers through action, iteration, and constant learning. If you're ready to start asking the right questions and, more importantly, living them, let’s chat. Together, we can bridge the gap between knowing and doing, turning your ideas into impactful actions.

Let’s not wait for the perfect plan - let’s design, experiment, and grow, one question at a time.

A Perk For You, Just For reading!

Speaking of questions, I'm on holiday for most of September. Now I don't know about you, but what tends to happen to me is that as soon as I relax, my creative brain kicks in and I get loads of ideas and thoughts about ways to implement those ideas.

I figure, as a thanks for reading, you might as well make the most of my brain in it's chilled state. So if you have a question about something that's happening in your business at the moment, that you'd like me to answer in a future newsletter - anonymously of course! - then comment or message me, and let me know.

With questionable ?? intent, Lucy. ??

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