If you're a parent, you're likely familiar with the relentless barrage of questions from your children's inquisitive minds. “Why are buses red?” they ask, or “What is a logo?” and even “Why are keyboards arranged in such an odd way?” We do our best to satisfy their curiosity, although I confess that some of us have concluded these exchanges with a bribe: “If you stop asking questions, I'll treat you to an ice cream.”
However, along the path to adulthood, we seem to misplace this innate curiosity—and that's a real problem. It hinders not only our ability to comprehend the world more fully but also impedes our personal and professional growth. Within the organisations we're part of, it maintains the status quo, potentially stifling enhancements that could be made.
In my years of conducting agile delivery training for diverse teams, from software developers to legal experts, I've always emphasised the importance of curiosity. In fact, we could learn a significant lesson from our children in this regard. I encourage teams to question everything—both the team's actions and our individual approaches.
During some training sessions, we track the lifecycle of a team's task from inception to completion. We begin by delineating each step of the process. Then we delve into the crucial inquiry: Why do we follow these steps? Often, there are logical reasons for the procedures we have in place, but by scrutinising them, we frequently uncover opportunities for enhancement. Sometimes, we're able to eliminate certain steps altogether if they prove to be of little value.
This ethos of inquiry is critical beyond the realm of project delivery. I've been involved in numerous instances where one or more teams grapple with complex technical issues. The common refrain is, “This is impossible; it's like finding a needle in a haystack!” That comparison is apt, to a degree. If a technical malfunction occurs, there's always an underlying cause. It is here that our curiosity should ignite a thorough quest for the root cause and its solution. In this scenario, I advise that we systematically shrink the proverbial haystack by eliminating unlikely causes, making it considerably easier to identify the true issue at hand.
So, the next time you undertake a familiar task, challenge yourself with the question, “Why am I doing this?” If you find an answer, progress to, “Is there a better way to do this?” Persist in questioning yourself and your team until you observe tangible enhancements. And remember, the journey of improvement need not cease—keep forging ahead.
And yes, feel free to reward yourself with an ice cream—even if you never stop asking questions!
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