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The Big Question

Are you talking to me?
Are you talking to me?

It's probably safe to assume that we've all asked questions, and that we've all had questions asked of us.  Also, it's likely that we've all prefaced a question with the phrase "This may be a dumb question...".  And we've all no doubt heard the saying "There are no dumb questions".

So there seems to be a question about questions.

I have learned to be comfortable asking questions, and I think that the ability (and dare I say courage) to ask a question can be a real asset for a team.  Now, I won't assume to know whether or not there are EVER "dumb questions", but I will posit that a question asked with some sincerety and a little curiosity will overcome ignorance.

In fact I believe that a big part of the value I have contributed to teams over the years is the understanding of when and how to ask a question.  As a leader who has worked primarily in IT and software development with people who are much more technically minded, I have been surprised many times to be the one to ask the right question to help move the team past a sticking point.  

Asking a simple question in a very technical conversation is often the answer to helping a team view the problem from a different perspective and identify a solution.

Maybe the big question is actually a simple, seemingly small question that moves the conversation forward.  

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