The most important question in the world!

The Most Important Question in the World

“It’s a lazy, sunny Sunday afternoon on the farm. 6 dogs are soaking up the afternoon sun as they lay sleeping on the front porch of the farmhouse. Suddenly a rabbit jumps out of the nearby thicket and scampers across the front yard. The first dog hears the rustling, opens his eyes and sees the bunny. He utters a loud howl and hurls himself off the front porch in pursuit of the rabbit. The noise startles the other 5 dogs who wake only to see the first dog launching himself off the porch. In unison, they jump up and chase after the first dog, sniffing the air and darting to and fro as they pursue their canine buddy. 5 minutes later the 5 dogs return to their places on the porch to continue their naps. Only 25 minutes later does the first dog return.”

Before reading further, please take a minute to think about why the 5 dogs returned so much earlier than the first dog. What caused them to come home so soon, when the first dog returned so much later?

Ready to continue?

The reason is that only the first dog knew what he was chasing. He saw the rabbit and he knew what the prize was. The other 5 dogs did what dogs do… sniff, bark, howl and chase… but never truly knowing what they were hunting. Being farm dogs, they had mastery over the ‘how’ and the ‘what’, but they did not know the ‘why’, so it was very difficult for them to be truly invested in the process. And so they quickly lost interest due to a lack of motivation.

This brings me to the topic of this article. In my opinion, the most important question in the world is the question ‘Why?”. It is the question we use to determine reason and purpose, and it is the question used to gain understanding, to motivate and to inspire. Every big motivational speech before an important endeavor usually addresses the ‘why’, not the ‘how’ or the ‘what’. One of my favorite movies of all time is Braveheart. Right before the last, defining battle against the English, William Wallace addresses his undermanned, undertrained, and under-prepared rag-tag bunch of farmers with the words ‘For our freedom!’. He reminds them of their purpose at the battle, and inspires them to fight with courage, even against overwhelming odds.

I believe that, too often, we settle for just knowing how to do our work instead of really pressing in to understand why we do what we do, and how it fits in with the bigger picture of why we exist as an organization. We get told ‘what’ to do, and sometimes we’re even told ‘how’ to do it, but very often we’re not told ‘why’ we’re doing it. Therefore, I urge you, if you don’t understand the ‘why’ of a certain task or initiative, please ask ‘why’.

Asking ‘Why’:

1.      identifies the value of the task

2.      improves understanding of the task

3.      enables creativity and innovation because it potentially opens alternative (and possibly more beneficial) solutions if more people have a deeper understanding

4.      creates a broader and more holistic perspective because it effectively connects the request with the outcome

5.      promotes transparency because it ensures that those giving instructions clearly understand it themselves, and it checks all motivations

What’s Next:

I want to suggest a renewed vision of creating a culture that promotes this kind of understanding, starting with each individual and then expanding it to your team, your department, your LOB or even the whole organization. How about we start an ‘Ask Me Why’ campaign where we encourage asking ‘why’ as part of an honest, diligent effort to gain the 5 benefits I highlighted above?

So, how can you take what you’ve gained from this article and apply it to your life, whether professional or personal?

As a people leader, how can you promote these ideas in your teams and encourage your employees to seek that deeper understanding? Where do you need to adjust to promote an ‘Ask Me Why’ culture in your team(s)?

If you only have 1 takeaway from this article, let it be the fact that, without understanding ‘why’, it is impossible to truly determine value. And, ultimately, our goal should be to deliver as much value as possible with everything we do.