What do questions lead to?

The title of this post might seem a bit obvious, but it’s not always. The inspiration for it came from Yuval Noah Harari’s book “ Nexus “, where he shared:

In 2019, I went on a tour of Chernobyl. The Ukrainian guide who explained what led to the nuclear accident said something that stuck in my mind. “Americans grow up with the idea that questions lead to answers,” he said. “But Soviet citizens grew up with the idea that questions lead to trouble.”

The same is often true in business. I think most companies are good about seeking out questions and digging to find the answers, but it’s not always that way. In fact, the best people tend to ask the toughest questions, and those should be welcomed.

Tough questions can lead to improved processes and knowledge. On the other hand, companies that discourage questions (so that people “stay out of trouble”) are simply creating their own trouble in a different way.

Originally published at https://www.mickmel.com.