I Thought You Would Never Ask

Can you help me? 

May I have your assistance in understanding this? 

Will you give me your opinion? 

What do you think? 

Many view asking a question as a weakness, a sign of inadequacy. To the achiever, it's a way to learn and grow. Feeling comfortable asking questions is one of the habits that achievers regularly practice. It's a definite sign of strength. 

Asking questions is a great way to get closer to someone. Inquiry nurtures relationships. Since the more self-confident individual usually does the asking, it can add balance to a relationship by offering the less confident participant an opportunity to answer the question–and feel important. 

Sustained inquiry is the habit of an alert, engaged mind. It's something that successful people do. Achievers have an endless appetite to expand knowledge, an insatiable desire to learn. 

Lack of knowledge is not our major risk. Fooling ourselves into thinking we know enough, thereby abandoning the process of discovery, is our major hazard. Achieving entrepreneurship, by definition, doesn't exist without inquisitiveness. 

Leaders inquire to feed their souls, to stay abreast of today and become acquainted with tomorrow. But they also probe on behalf of their organizations. Organizations achieve through the leader's knowledge. 

Inquisitive leaders create a learning environment. When the leader asks questions, others feel free to do likewise. The net result is better communication, more give and take, and a workplace more alive with learning and contemplation. 

More basically, inquisitiveness is required for survival. The knowledge gained moves organizations forward. Habitual inquisitiveness tunes skills, allowing achievers to gather knowledge at a rate far beyond the competition. 

Another trait of inquisitive people is mental flexibility. New knowledge updates and replaces the old, purging obsolete beliefs and references. This constant updating helps keep an achieving entrepreneur ahead of the pack. 

Yet another value of asking a question is creating an opportunity to listen. When listening, avoid the trap of anticipating what others will say. Listen between the lines. 

Often, what's said doesn't reveal nearly as much as what isn't said. Good listeners can also act ignorant, creating increased trust while diffusing the "I know it all" apprehensions. 

Those who inquire have the most opportunity to listen. Those who listen have the most opportunity to learn. Those who learn have the most current knowledge. And knowledge is money. Thus the importance of asking questions.