Lawyers (and cops interrogating people in movies) famously only ask questions to which they (think they) know the answers. And, I suppose, given that their purpose is to confirm rather than learn, it’s the right move. But I have a suspicion that the prevalence of that type of questioning in “power” situations makes it seem like a thing that everyone should do. Particularly if they want to be “successful” or project “authority.” (Sorry for all the quotation marks! I wanted to signal that I think the power, success, or authority in these scenarios is superficial. Moving on.) In the long term—as far as I can see—earned power, success, and authority are far more likely to come to those who listen. To those who ask questions to which they (think they) don’t know the answers. I’m thinking of the business owners/principals/leaders/partners/(even) politicians who ask in earnest, listen, and adapt. To my mind, that is the way. For businesses, countries, relationships, families. For systems of any kind involving people making decisions that affect other people. From a tactical standpoint, it will help you, as a business owner, discover and serve your ideal clients and customers in a far more meaningful way. Questioningly, P.S. I was in the midst of having this thought when I read (to my mind) this related piece by friend of the list, Kevin Freidberg. Something in the air? |
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One of the things missing from much of the “get AI to do everything for you” messaging is this fact: writing isn’t just a product, it’s a process. Yes, it’s nice to have “content.” But thinking that having it is the only outcome that matters is shallow and short-sighted. One of the things that has astounded me since I started writing daily(ish) emails back in November 2022 is how much it has changed me. It has vastly improved my ability to think—and to put those thoughts into clear, concise...
If you want to achieve more, do less. That is to say, build time into your day, your week, your year for quiet. In our house, following lunch, there is a period of mandated quiet time. It gives everyone a chance to do something they’d otherwise not do: nothing. It could be napping, reading, working on art, or even listening to something specific on headphones—as long as it’s quiet and done alone. For Kayte and I, it’s almost always napping, lol. During that time, we can recharge. We can...
“…We are ‘persuaded to spend money we don’t have on things we don’t need to make impressions that won’t last on people we don’t care about.’” This is Kate Raworth quoting Economist Tim Jackson in her book Doughnut Economics while discussing the power of aspiration in influencing human behaviour. Reading this, I realized that seeing (or at least feeling) this is what kept me from marketing for so long. (And what keeps me from engaging in much of its mainstream still.) I thought of it only as a...