Questions Are the Answer

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What if changing the question could unlock better solutions to your most challenging problems at work, in your community, or at home? Creative problem-solvers often emphasize that their success lies in asking different questions. For instance, Debbie Sterling, founder of GoldieBlox, was inspired to create her company after a friend's lament about the lack of women in engineering, prompting her to ask, "Why are all the great building toys made for boys?" Similarly, Nobel laureate Richard Thaler questioned the assumption of rationality in economic theory, while Elon Musk challenges industry norms with inquiries like, "What are people accepting as an industry standard when there's room for significant improvement?" Such great questions have a unique catalytic effect, breaking down barriers to creative thinking and guiding the search for solutions in new directions. These questions are often surprising yet seem obvious once posed. Hal Gregersen, an innovation and leadership expert, recognized the importance of questions and embarked on a research journey that included over two hundred interviews with creative thinkers. This exploration led to insights about the conditions that foster catalytic questions and breakthrough ideas, demonstrating how anyone can cultivate them.