The Worthy "Why?"

You and I hear messages all the time about action.

"Just do it."

"We're falling behind in our sales figures. Get out and do more."

"Don't just stand there--do something."

"We need to change the organization."

I'm big on doing stuff, too. But I've learned that being busy doesn't necessarily lead to what I want to achieve.

Why?

Because I didn't ask "why?"

"Why?"  can come across as a threatening question. It gets at purpose and motive. For those very reasons, it's the first question that you and I need to ask ourselves--and others--before committing time and energy to anything.

When a time commitment doesn't match your purpose and goals, then answering the "why?" question is time well spent.

What's your experience with "why?" question?

 

Comments

[Jamie Flinchbaugh]

There's a quote I'll probably get slightly wrong, or falsely attribute, but I believe it was Truman.

"the best thing is to do the right thing. The next best is to do the wrong thing. The worst is to do nothing."

Of course given that is comes from a President, it speaks to the flawed premise of government intervention just for the sake of intervention. But the premise is wrong. The wrong thing makes things worse. You literally don't throw water on a grease fire. That is action, but the wrong action, and the wrong action comes from not knowing why you are doing the thing you are doing.

Think first. Then act. Repeat.

[Steve Roesler]

Jamie,

It works for shampoo!

Steve

[sachin kundu]

Problem with WHY is that it soon converges to WHO and that is dangerous.
Also asking WHY and doing the (in)famous root cause analysis leads to finding causal relationship, and as we all know real world is way more complex. There is no single reason why something happens.
Obviously it makes no sense to just blindly start doing something because doing something is better.It is not. However doing something supposedly useful, and then learning from it and repeating is the key.That is only possible if the question of WHO is removed and people are allowed to fail.

[Steve Roesler]

Sachin

We are quite in agreement on the point regarding "Who," and it's the job of the manager to make it clear that assessing blame is off limits. The fact that "Why" can generate such discomfort is a testimony to it's importance. If we ask to make a change, people want to know "Why?" If we want to make a commitment to a cause, a business, or a person, we ask ourselves "Why" am I doing this?

Of course for many, the answer is often "Ah, why not?"

Thanks for adding to the discussion.

[Jackie Cameron]

Oh my goodness this post is so timely for me! Over the past wee while I felt like I have been pulled from pillar to post. I THOUGHT that I was keen to be involved in everything that I was doing and I SAID that I was committed - but when I tested that by asking the WHY? question I realised that I wasn't. And it has freed me up to focus on what I really want to do.

[Steve Roesler]

Jackie

Timely is good!

Sounds as if you've made some decisions that brought about a bit of peacefulness. Good for you.

S.

[web design London]

There is no single reason why something happens.
Obviously it makes no sense to just blindly start doing something because doing something is better.It is not. However doing something supposedly useful, and then learning from it and repeating is the key.That is only possible if the question of WHO is removed and people are allowed to fail.