The Fortexx Group

What do the highest paid professions have in common? They are able to solve the hardest challenges. Think about positions where some of the most challenging problems come across their desk. These are also commonly positions that no one else wants to fill, probably due to the degree of difficulty that comes with facing such challenges. What if we could program our brains to face challenges head on by assessing the situation, removing all emotion and formulating a logical game plan to move forward despite the obstacle in front of us? What if we could program our brains to reassociate ‘challenges’ with growth, and give them positive connotation?

The key is actually in the questions we ask. Asking better questions will lead to finding better solutions. Every new challenge is an opportunity to learn, grow and improve. By asking better questions, we align ourselves with a mindset that drives innovation and progress.

Pinpointing the Root with Better Questions

When we’re faced with obstacles we often have an instinctual, knee-jerk reaction to respond quickly. We rush toward solutions rather than thinking them through to find the best logical answer. Quick fixes rarely address the root cause of the issue at hand. They are often a bandaid to the problem. Instead, we should be focused on identifying the real problems and moving toward real solutions. Let’s look at how to pause and ask questions that dig deeper, since better questions can reveal hidden opportunities.

For example, instead of asking “why are we behind,” ask “what factors are contributing to the delay?” The former question assigns blame while the latter focuses on finding sustainable, actionable solutions. If your team is struggling with communication, seek to understand “What information is getting lost,” or “How can we make this easier to understand?” Perhaps the problem is not communication itself, but over-communicating. The solution may lay in streamlining the communication flow into one daily summary with prioritized items rather than individual updates throughout the day. Perhaps there is a method of communication overall, such as a realtime app or a project management tool. The solution is found when the root cause of the problem is sought out, which is easy to overlook if the team coordinator is getting frustrated and pointing fingers. Instead, try having an open conversation with the team and asking where the most difficult part of the communication process is.

Another example is if you are struggling with your personal goals, such as better time management, staying ahead of your class assignments or even maintaining your dedicated time in the gym. If you feel yourself falling behind or out of routine, you might naturally ask yourself, “How come I can’t stay motivated,” or “What is another routine that will work for me?” Instead, try asking yourself “What’s making this routine feel unsustainable,” or “What small adjustments can be made that will make this routine more enjoyable?” Often, it is not how badly we want to accomplish something, but the mere fact that we haven’t built sustainable habits that causes our demise. Let’s seek to ask questions regarding the parts and the process, not the overall routine. Perhaps we can become better organized by taking 30 minutes out of our Sunday in order to plan our next week’s routine. Perhaps we can plan to take on the biggest challenges first before moving onto the smaller tasks and challenges.

The Opportunities Within the Challenge

Asking better questions doesn’t just uncover problems, but also opportunities to enhance and improve the overall process. The power is in the shift from focusing on limitations to exploring possibilities. This shift inspires innovation, creativity and empowerment. Move from “I can’t” to “How can I?” Are there more options you haven’t tried? Thomas Edison prominently comes to mind with this, as he infamously claimed failure as part of the process to success and discovery. He learned that he could learn from his mistakes and use them to improve his designs; that he needed to be willing to fail in order to achieve success. It is said that he failed somewhere between 1000-2774 times before finally discovering the light bulb. Imagine if Thomas Edison became disheartened and gave up after he failed 50 times. We would have no light! Or rather, we’d have to wait for someone else to come along with tenacity.

Edison knew that every failure was a step closer towards his goal. He said “I will not say I failed 1000 times, I will say that I found 1000 ways that won’t work.”

If we take on this mindset of constant progress, believing that the correct solution is out there, we will inevitably find the right answer. But finding the right answer involves asking the right questions. Better questions. We cannot find what will work until we find what is not working.

The Ripple Effect

One challenge that may come from thinking this way is to face problems head on, rather than avoiding them. This can range from anything such as conflicts with a coworker to the late notice on our utility bills. When we avoid a problem, it doesn’t go away by itself. In fact, more often than not it festers and grows exponentially.

Perhaps the problem lays in a logistical barrier, such as inconvenient timing, lack of visibility or promotion, poor weather conditions, etc. What happens when we start asking the right questions is that we start finding the root problems. When we find the problem, we now have an opportunity to course-correct. This means that we have a decision to make. That decision will move us in a different direction, which may then lead to another problem and another opportunity to find it, course-correct and continue moving forward. Within a period of time, progress is made for the better, as the process of constantly asking questions, seeking problems and solving them has propelled the entire system into new levels, milestones or achievements. This is called the Ripple Effect.

How to Ask Better Questions

Think about the last time you had a knee-jerk reaction to a problem. What could you have done differently? What could you have done better? What would the ideal outcome have been? Instead, we’ve laid out a simple process that, when followed, will allow you to continue moving towards progress:

Properly assess the situation.
Pause before reacting.
Design a game plan.
Take action.

Let’s work this backwards. Before taking action, we must first come up with a feasible game plan. Before committing to a game plan, we must pause and process the situation. Before processing the situation, we must first properly assess it.

Properly assess the situation. Where are we? Where are we looking to go? What are we looking to achieve? What obstacle are we facing? What is causing the obstacle? What is the effect of the obstacle? What is the real problem here? Where is the break in the workflow? Where is the break in communication? What can we be doing better? Where are the results falling off?

Pause before reacting. There are two types of responses: logical and emotional. Emotion paralyzes and holds us back while logic pushes us forward with action. We should never make a decision out of emotion because then we allow temporary emotions to have longterm effects. If we can pause long enough to acknowledge our emotions and then process or side step them, we will then be able to step into a space of logic in order to properly react to the situation.

Design a game plan. Formulating a plausible game plan is a major part of being solution-oriented. Odds are that the game plan will change slightly along the way, but it will give us good direction as we step into the next phase. Once a game plan has been created, stick to it. Remember that you made it in a logical state and that it is still entirely possible to revert back into emotion during the remainder of the process.

Take action. This is the execution stage. Now is the time to step into action. It is important to note that any action is better than no action. As we take action, we are putting our game plan into motion and moving toward the solution to our problems. We will be able to reassess and redirect our efforts once we see our new trajectory and new problems arise.

Even if we decide to take small steps, remember that small steps add up to big steps and before long, you will see major results. Keep pushing. Keep moving forward. Continue to look for problems and always be ready to work a solution.

The next time you find yourself facing an obstacle, ask not only what the problem is, but also the opportunity within the challenge. You might just find a hidden path to bigger and better things!