If You Don’t Know What You’re Doing, Start Asking Questions, You Can’t Go Wrong!

In the early part of my career at Procter and Gamble (P&G), I discovered this truism by experience. I was transferred to a new division at P&G that had great promise but was starting to have difficulty getting a tow hold in its new market. I was sent to the Creative Problem Solving Institute, where I met Dr. Sidney Parnes. It was a great experience emphasizing deferring judgment and creativity but, like most attendees who go to conferences, I wasn’t sure what to do when I returned to my work. I resolved to be different, one of the few who actually does something when he gets back. 

When the opportunity arose to help a group of research and development chemists, I was very nervous because all I had was a bachelor’s degree and they were PhDs. I made a leap of faith that maybe I could help them somehow.

Deferring judgment, I started asking questions about the problem they were faced with. The group began to realize that they all had unique answers. To my surprise, the team was finding this very helpful. Agreeing on the most important questions was key to helping them understand their problem. They came up with unexpected solutions, but most importantly some new ways of thinking.