The right question is more important than the right answer?

How often do we get in our own way?

We think we know more...this was me before I was about to get embarrassed in a big way.

I remember being in my early 20’s questioning a franchising icon. Nothing wrong with questioning and I still like to question myself and others.

Here is what I learned through a story called "The Picnic Story” that was told me by JTH at our normal 4 o’clock sales meeting.

I thought something that I believed to be true and what he was saying was the opposite of what I knew to be true.

So I gave pushback and let him know my opinion versus asking a really good thoughtful question to possibly learn something new.

In my mind, I knew that he knew something that I didn’t know through his experience, yet I still gave pushback. I mean I was making $100k in my early 20s… I knew everything, right?

So, he said Erik let me tell you the picnic story...He knew he was about to embarrass me in front of all my co-workers and I knew it too.

He went through this whole story that was something he experienced and at the end of the story the punchline hit me in the face and I knew he was right. So much that 17 years later I still remember it. He was right and I was wrong, but at least I was smart enough to learn from it and not double down:)

The point is I still have strong opinions and it’s easy for me to think my opinions are the right answer…

It’s better to be inquisitive, curious & ask why before concluding you are right just because you think you are right.

?? The right question is more important than the right answer.