The question is the foundational unit of a Curly Conversation™ for three reasons.
➊ Firstly, Curly Conversations™ start off with a considerable number of unknowns. I mean, that’s what makes them curly in the first place, right? Therefore, when we don’t know much we need to ask questions to learn and create new knowledge.
➋ Secondly, questions set the direction and focus of a Curly Conversation™. For example, if we ask ‘How do we do this task?’ it spawns a different conversation than if we asked ‘Why does this task matter?’
➌ Finally, questions help our brains to switch off autopilot and engage our vast capacity to think and explore complex situations and ideas. Once we lock in an answer, it’s easy for our brain to lock onto it, click the autopilot on and start cruising in our comfort zone.
So next time you find yourself feeling disrupted and worried about not having the answers, relax. It is much more important that you know how to ask the right questions. The good news is, of course, that unlike the answers, the ability to ask questions is 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 within your control.