When someone knows a lot more than you do, don’t be intimidated; ask a series of incredibly stupid questions.
Two clients this week told me they were daunted by talking to experts in their own businesses, for very different reasons. One dreaded talking to his data scientist, an “energy vampire” who was incredibly boring and abstruse; the other found his head of operations useless, as it seemed he was withholding information that the product team needed. To elicit the information they required, both clients worked with me to draft a brief, focussed series of very basic questions, and practised effective interruptions to keep the conversation on track. In both cases, these curiosity-driven conversations led to radical insights that will upend the whole company’s direction and strategy; the list of “dumb” questions mitigated their fear of looking ignorant or wasting time. So go forth and be stupid, you just might learn something!
This first appeared in my weekly Squirrel Squadron email, which goes out every Monday, and was originally posted on 8th August 2022. To get my provocative thoughts and tips direct to your inbox first, sign up here: https://squirrelsquadron.com/