54. Change the Shape of the Questions

The increasing velocity of change and growing volatility demands new think­ing. At times it can seem out of reach or beyond our current capability. Of course, that’s true anytime we face new challenges. But adversity is not a new phenomenon.

The universe has always thrown curve balls. The solution is finding new questions. When you are facing volatility, accelerated changes, upheavals, dis­turbances, or disruptions, first seek to formulate new and better questions.

When the disruption of COVID happened, I started listing questions to con­sider like; “What does it look like on the other side of the pandemic restrictions (knowing we had no idea, but we can start trying to figure it out)?” “What do our customers need?” “What do people need?” These questions, and many more, spurred innovative ideas on how to respond to this unprecedented disruption.

What questions can I ask to shape my thinking around this challenge?