Imagine if you could transform your business just by asking the right questions. Curiosity isn’t just for children; it’s a powerful tool that can propel your company forward. As we move into the second half of the year, many entrepreneurs find that the key to staying ahead lies in identifying and asking the most important questions.
Consider the difference between asking, “How can I be clearer on my list of stakeholders to keep them up to date with progress?” versus “How can I unite all stakeholders to take the next step in powering my growth?” The first question focuses on connection, while the second seeks to unite them around a common goal to drive your business forward.
Dive into our blog to discover how asking the right questions can unlock new levels of growth and success for your business. We reveal how nurturing your innate curiosity can uncover deeper insights, solve complex problems, and drive significant growth. Whether you’re a woman founder feeling stuck or an entrepreneur looking for a new perspective, this read will show you the incredible impact curiosity can have on your business and how asking the right questions can be the game-changer you’ve been searching for.
How a little curiosity has a big impact on business growth
As anyone who’s ever looked after a child knows, they love to ask why. And there are no limits on the number of questions asked nor subject matter asked about.
In their world, anything goes.
Why don’t we have shells like tortoises? Why do rainbows have colours? Why is the sky blue? Why does ice cream melt?
Children are naturally curious, a beautiful trait that is generally pummelled out of them during the self-consciousness of adolescence. By the time most people are ready to enter the world of work, their lifelong conditioning will have prepared them to behave in set ways deemed acceptable in a workplace.
And asking too many questions isn’t usually befitting of this environment. Only by doing so, however, can you begin to understand your needs, challenges and aspirations.
Kickstarting the right questions
In business, developing a sense of curiosity helps kickstart the questions to ask to get the answers you need to progress.
That may sound obvious, but asking the right questions is a surprisingly tricky skill to master. It’s one of the first things we suggest to the women founders we work with, especially in times of feeling stuck.
On days when your hours are packed with small tasks that seem alien to your company’s objectives, stepping back from the daily grind and fostering a sense of curiosity could be the best business decision you ever make.
Questioning your way to the root of the problem you need to solve
An article in Harvard Business Review says doctors and lawyers are trained in asking questions as they’re recognised as an essential part of the process to discover the real problem.
But why is it not the same for business professionals? You may be the go-to expert on your product or service, but without the ability to get curious and ask smart questions your business will be at a disadvantage in today’s fast-changing world.
When time is scarce, it’s more important than ever to ensure your efforts are going towards solving the problem you need to solve. Very often what’s on your to-do list is not the direct thing that needs addressing.
Asking the right questions enhances self-awareness by reflecting on goals, purpose, values, and where your strengths and weaknesses lie. This knowledge helps form the answer to the key question of “where are things out of balance in the business?” so you can unearth the root of what’s keeping you in a rut.
We know what you’re thinking. There’s only one question and it’s obvious: ”Why do I have all these things on my to-do list that I don’t enjoy?”!
You can start with that but be sure to follow up with questions that are purpose-led, or you’ll be led in circles in a never-ending game of whack a mole.
Here’s where seasoned business coaches, like the team at Wyseminds, help put everything into perspective. We’ll take that question and use it as a chisel to whittle a path to the heart of the problem. There is no immediate judgement of the situation, just the questions designed to help you understand and stay curious.
We use a purpose grid as part of this process – a tool that establishes exactly what it is that’s keeping you out of balance with your overarching business goals.
By showing you how to harness the power of questions underpinned by purpose, we hope you’ll continue to ask yourself incisive, strategic questions once our initial work is done and you’re riding your next growth wave.
Make smart questioning part of your daily practice
Long before the era of AI (more than 200 years in fact!), French philosopher and all-round wise man, Voltaire, said:
“Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.”
He knew the power of nurturing innate curiosity and smart questioning to unlock new knowledge about oneself, one’s life and one’s work.
By embedding these traits into your daily practice, you’ll uncover deeper insights and underlying issues that may not be immediately apparent on the surface.
If you’re a woman founder feeling like you’re the only one to have ever landed in a rut, remember you’re not alone. Without fail, all the entrepreneurs we work with have been to the same place. So take a step back, look at your to-do list and ask what is the recurring issue. And what changes could ease the burden? What question could you be asking?, perhaps it’s a bigger misalignment within your business!
This will help align the things that matter so your business can be primed for growth. Our free growth evaluation exercise is a great place to start. Our Wyseminds Powerball tool will pinpoint misalignments, helping you address why you might feel stuck in a rut and eliminate once and for all those unwanted tasks from your to-do list.
If you’re interested in working with us, get in touch to see how we can help.
How business growth is like parenting