Live the questions.

Empower others while building alignment.

Ever struggled with how to lead through a new opportunity?

When presented with a new opportunity it’s natural to lean into possible solutions based on previous experience. This rush to a solution, however, undermines team ownership.

Instead, frame the challenge through the right series of questions. This will empower your team to own a solution that meets the established objectives.

“Live the questions now,” an often-cited Rainer Maria Rilke quote proposes a personal journey through uncertainty.

“Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” – Rainer Maria Rilke

This call to be inquisitive also serves those charged with leading teams well.

Determining the right questions

The right questions will vary. No two opportunities are identical, but there are always similarities. What are the insights you’ve gleaned from previous opportunities? How can those insights be posed as questions? The framing established through targeted questions will set your team on a path to successful outcomes.

Here are a couple frameworks to get you started.

The 5 Whys for Root Cause Analysis

Is something broken that needs to be fixed? The 5 Whys method was designed to drill down to one functioning solution. And it’s as simple as it sounds. Step through a series of ‘why’ questions until you get from problem to solution.

The Who, What, When, Where, Why and How

Have a new opportunity that your team is trying to get their arms around? Think like an investigative reporter. Consider the who, what, when, where, why and how. These questions may be similar from opportunity to opportunity, but there are sure to be nuances and the answers will lead to multiple viable solutions.

Who is the intended audience?
Focus on the external audience rather than internal stakeholders.
What is the primary goal?
Distill competing priorities down to own primary goal.
When is this needed?
Timeline is a strong feasibility gauge.
Where will this be promoted?
There are likely additional touchpoints that must be considered.
Why is this important?
Determine the purpose driving the primary goal.
How will effectiveness be tracked?
Some KPIs are more easily tracked than others.