Tag Archives: answers

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Which comes first

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I often run into people seeking answers.  My counsel to them is unlike the popular game show, Jeopardy, it does not make sense to start with the answer.

The answers we seek cannot be uncovered without a clear understanding of the question.  That is where to begin.  Spending time and effort seeking to find answers is a much more efficient process if it is focused.

Clarity of Purpose

Taking the time to fully understand the question is an effort well worth undertaking.  It helps us avoid responses that are not really relevant to what we seek, but appear to be.

Sometimes digging into what the question really is can provide answers.  For example, consider the simple question “Why is the sky blue”.

Are we really trying to determine the reason for the sky’s color or is it what the sky is composed of (which results in blue color) the answer we seek.

Or do we want to understand why the region starting from land and reaching outer space exists, that is what is the purpose of the sky and why does it exist and do we need it, can we use it for something?

Solid Foundation

Research into a topic is best conducted when the object of the research is well defined.  This process of determining what we are actually trying to answer, that is creating the question is not only a critical beginning but also time-consuming.

The value equation, spending time up front to think through and clarify the question more often than not results in clear and high-quality answers.

Without understanding the question we really cannot arrive at an answer.

 

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Navigating the Fog

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Woke up this morning to a layer of low lying fog.   Fall weather is coming.  My summer this year was fairly temperate so not much to complain about.

I did take some inspiration from the weather conditions this morning. My thought of the day, “Peering through the early morning fog, look carefully for that glimmer of enlightenment.”

The Answer is Out There

Stealing the key tag line from the conspiracy theory-laden TV series the X-Files, I do believe it is generally true if we look closely we can uncover the reality.

That is, with attention and focus we are able to make the foggy mist dissipate.  Then the answer will lie before us.  Like the fictional FBI agent in the aforementioned series, practicing determination can uncover the secrets.

State of Mind

Blowing away the fog requires effort and so a compensating level of motivation is needed.  It begins with believing the answers exist and we have the skills and capability to find them.

However, the key motivating factor it a thirst for knowledge.  This is a personal choice, you need to want it in order to make the effort to find the answers.

The acquisition of knowledge is not effortless and sometimes appears to be an awesome challenge which raises the question, “Is it worth the attempt”?

And there’s the catch

Gaining knowledge is by definition an activity through which we acquire a new understanding of facts, information and skills.  We do not know in advance what we are going to find out.

Therein lies the rub is it worth spending the effort for something we are not really sure what it is.   You just won’t know until you lift that fog and find out what was hidden there.

 

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Questions 67 & 68

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In the late sixties, the group Chicago released a song titled “Questions 67 & 68” which was about a romantic relationship that occurred during 1967 and 1968.

Focusing on the title alone (although this is a great tune and psychedelic songwriting at it’s best) I love the randomness of highlighting two numbered questions  (this was before I realized the numbers were years, I just thought it was random).

Any Questions

In a discussion with a colleague today we wondered “Is there any question that should never be asked?”  Whatever the number can all questions be valid?

Should there be a constraint on our constant search for knowledge?  Which raises the question should we continually seek to build and grow our personal body of knowledge?

Is the answer not rhetorical, do we even need to ask these questions?

Annoyance

As you may have discovered through reading the above paragraph constant and numerous questioning can be annoying and the knowledge source or sources might not respond in the clearest or most accurate ways (if they respond at all).

Questions are certainly a great way to build your own knowledge and understanding in a planned and organized way but they do not always need to be directly posed to others.

Research of documentation, experimentation, trial, and error are all ways of finding answers.  Sometimes these methods will actually produce the best answers as you can balance and weigh them based on results and parallel research.

Is it the right answer

Asking a question of others may get you an answer but it will be based on what they know and understand and that might not be correct.

A classic example of this is the question about the shape of the earth.  Even today you can find people who will answer that question with no it is not round.

So be judicious in the questions you ask, only ask someone else directly when you are sure that is the best way to get the best answer.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Asking Questions

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Eliciting information from others is a very important practice.  There are many things we don’t know, others may know them or may not, but questioning is a good way to find out. 

Unfortunately, the answer to your question might not be forthcoming or inaccurate or even a deliberate falsehood.  Also, sometimes others are disdainful of those who ask questions. Occasionally I hear, “You ask too many questions”

Is there another way?

Obviously a direct question is not the only way to elicit information from others.  More subtle methods could be employed to get the information desired. 

This can involve making a statement or observation or even taking an action intended to get a response which provides the information that is sought after. 

The indirect forms of eliciting information from others may also have a bit more veracity as the other person may not realize they are being probed and so do not filter the reaction. 

Asking Directly

Still, while less direct methods can be used there is always the question of clarity, the potential the result of your probing misunderstood.  You may misinterpret the response and think you have elicited the desired information when in fact, you have not. 

A direct question, while it might not always get an honest or accurate answer provides greater ability for you to assess the value information received. 

As well, follow up questions can be used to resolve any ambiguity to perceive in the answer.  

Don’t hold back

Whether you seek to elicit information directly or indirectly the main advise is to proceed.  There are gaps in everyones information and questioning in some form is often the only way to resolve them. 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Seeking Answers

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Gathering information can be an art form.   I enjoy reading legal and detective fiction quite a bit.  In these fictional novel the focus is regularly on the questions and answers.  That is both what is asked and how it is asked.  Usually the hero of the story is a  detective or lawyer who  able to get the answers and find the truth through clever manipulation of what they ask and how they ask it.   This of course leads to a satisfying story.

Real Life

Outside the fictional realm, I find the need to phrase the questions carefully applies to many of my daily interactions both personal and in a work environment.

Sometime it seems to me people don’t like to answer questions and it’s not unknown to get unhelpful responses.  This can be because you just were not understood, or it could also be purposeful obfuscation.

Like my fictional detective hero’s I find this frustrating and when dealing with sensitive issues I find my self thinking out the plan of attack in advance, being careful to include tests within the question series that will help validate the accuracy of the responses.

Cynical Me

I would agree, without question, my personal experience over the years has led me to be cynical and I could be overreacting.  Or it could just be me – that is I don’t know how to ask questions without creating anger and thus coloring the responses.  I do tend to be a pretty direct questioner so maybe that is part of it.

I have learned in order to get high quality information it’s necessary to fully think about my objective in advance (what am I trying to find out) and then work out the best way to approach it through a series of well crafted probing questions.

Often I do not have a power base (like my fictional police detective) and so like many of the lawyers I read about I need to be clever about how I find out my answers.