Emma chats about the importance of asking questions.
How often do you hear people say, “Oh sorry, that was a stupid question”? I hear it all the time! I often notice that people will ask a question, and then backtrack. I know I do it too, especially when I think I should’ve known the answer, or to stop others from judging me.
But let’s look at this from another perspective. When someone asks you a question, do you ever think that it was a stupid question to ask? I’m guessing it’s not often, or never! I think people put too many perceived doubts on themselves. If you need to ask a question, ask it. And don’t apologise for doing so. Questions help us to learn and develop.
‘There’s no such thing as a stupid question’ is a phrase that’s been around for years, and I certainly believe it! Everyone has different experiences and knowledge. Without asking questions, you’ll have less chance to gain their knowledge and learn more about their area of expertise. What one person sees as a stupid question; another will see as perfectly reasonable.
Asking questions is also a sign of intelligence. It shows that you’re curious and willing to learn from others and grow from this.
Bijal, a member of the bunch, told me the amazing honeypot and bear story, which really resonated with me. There was a problem in Canada, where the snow would build up and break the power lines. This kept happening, so to come up with a solution, they had a meeting where no idea was a stupid idea. One idea was to convince the bears who lived nearby to shake the poles connecting the power lines, to stop the build-up of snow. But how would they get the bears to do this? The next idea was to put a honeypot on the pole. The bears would try and knock this down by shaking the pole, stopping the build-up of snow. But how would they put the honeypot on the pole? The next idea was to fly helicopters overhead to drop the honey as they flew past. This is where the solution came from. The wind created by the helicopter would dislodge the snow, meaning the power lines wouldn’t break. No idea was a stupid idea, which meant they were able to establish a solution.
You can apply this same story to questions. Asking a question yourself can prompt and generate thoughts or ideas from others, and can help everyone around you to learn and grow. Every question is an opportunity to learn something new!
What more could you learn by asking questions?