Isaac Newton and asking Questions
For years, the story of what got Isaac Newton thinking along the lines of gravity have been debated and told in different ways. Most claiming that the story was false while others say while Isaac sat under an apple tree, he had an apple fall on his head and then experienced an ‘eureka’ moment which resulted in him making discoveries about gravity.
To help clear the air, the manuscript for what would become a biography of Newton entitled Memoirs of Sir Isaac Newton’s Life (1752) written by William Stukeley, an archaeologist and one of Newton’s first biographers, have been made public and tells us Newton’s account of what exactly happened. Stukeley relays the apple story as told by Newton saying after dinner one day; Isaac decided to go to the garden to relax.
While under the shade of an apple tree, he observed an apple fall and then began asking himself why when apple as all other fruits fall, they descended perpendicularly rather than go upward or sideways (royalsociety.org/turning-the-pages). Asking that question was the beginning of greater discoveries where gravitation was concerned.
What would have happened if Newton didn’t ask himself that question?
Questions are the gateway to the world of answers. As a line leader, supervisor, member of the C-Suite or business owner, it is important you learn how to ask questions for research, learning, study, problem solving, and decision making to be done effectively and efficiently, questions need to be asked.
Asking good questions is probably one of the most important and powerful workplace interpersonal skills a good leader must master. Being able to ask empowering questions really takes is a notch higher. Through asking questions, you can discover why your business is still the way it is, why your employees are leaving to join other firms, why you are not delivering on the people agenda in your organisation, and many more.
During team meetings or when discussing with a client, asking the right question helps us get information, clarify, get expansion, or integrate a view.
As a leader, it is important you are clear on what you want achieve and you frame your questions to get people thinking in that direction. By learning to ask the right questions, we can minimise conflict, build effective teams, find the real cause of business or people problems and even find solutions to such problems.
“The real answer to asking the right questions is simple: keep asking. When you ask enough questions, in and among all the questions you ask are the right ones. As long as you listen well and keep the focus on the problem or the solution, it does not matter which questions are right. In the end, the Right questions are those that get you relevant information” -Steve Blois
As the leader, employees would naturally look up to you to provide all the answers and its imperative you don’t fall for the trap. Start asking them questions.
Ngozi Adebiyi