{"id":113918,"date":"2023-09-20T17:14:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-20T21:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=113918"},"modified":"2025-09-08T11:35:57","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T15:35:57","slug":"questions-to-ask-in-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/questions-to-ask-in-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Questions to Ask in Business: Fostering Curiosity &amp; Creativity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>What question launched Uber? What questions did Toys &#8220;R&#8221; Us leaders fail to ask?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The most successful companies ask a lot of questions. And, they <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-ask-the-right-questions\/\">ask the right questions<\/a>. That&#8217;s the view of Warren Berger. In his book <em>A More Beautiful Question<\/em>, he explains why every person in every workplace needs to ask the fundamental questions \u201cwhy,\u201d \u201cwhy not,\u201d \u201cwhat if,\u201d and \u201chow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Continue reading to learn about these &#8220;beautiful questions&#8221; to ask in business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p><em>Editor\u2019s note: This article is part of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/hub\/society-culture\/arts\/creativity-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Shortform\u2019s guide to creativity<\/a>. If you like what you read here, there\u2019s plenty more to check out in the guide!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-questions-to-ask-in-business\">Questions to Ask in Business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Berger says that, just like schools, many companies value knowledge and obedience over curiosity and creativity. However, the most successful companies are those that encourage employees to ask questions and search for innovative answers. Even if you\u2019re not in a leadership position at work (and therefore can\u2019t encourage others to ask questions), you can still ask questions yourself and try to convince your coworkers and bosses that such questions are highly valuable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The modern business world changes quickly, and companies need to frequently reinvent themselves to stay relevant. Berger suggests several fundamental questions to ask in business, such as:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Why <\/em>do some people choose our competitors instead of us?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Why not<\/em> try to reach a new demographic? <em>How <\/em>could we do that?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>What if <\/em>we updated our mission statement to better reflect today\u2019s values?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>What if <\/em>a new startup disrupts our market, as Uber did to taxis?\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Why not <\/em>let our employees work from home?\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/start-with-why\/1-page-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Start With Why<\/em><\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/simon-sinek-biography\/\">Simon Sinek<\/a> says that the first question any organization should ask itself is, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/start-with-why\/introduction\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Why <\/em>are we here?<\/a>\u201d\u2014in other words, \u201cWhat is this organization\u2019s purpose or mission?\u201d. He gives several reasons for this: First, an inspiring mission will motivate your employees more effectively than paychecks or personal incentives alone. Second, your mission statement will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-get-customers-for-a-new-business\/\">attract customers<\/a> who agree with it. Finally, a clear mission or purpose will act as a guidepost while you lead your organization through turbulent changes. Before reinventing your company (as Berger says you must frequently do), make sure any changes you make will serve your mission.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Examples: Uber and Toys &#8220;R&#8221; Us<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The rideshare app <a href=\"https:\/\/www.investopedia.com\/articles\/personal-finance\/111015\/story-uber.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Uber came from just such a \u201cwhat if?\u201d question<\/a>. Cofounders Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick got stranded in a snowstorm in Paris, and they wondered: \u201cWhat if you could use your phone to secure a ride?\u201d However, that concept on its own was worthless\u2014founding the rideshare company that made them billionaires first required them to answer <em>how <\/em>they were going to do that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For an example of what happens when businesses <em>don\u2019t <\/em>ask those questions, consider Toys &#8220;R&#8221; Us.&nbsp;Toys &#8220;R&#8221; Us used to be a powerhouse in the children\u2019s toy market. Then, competitors like Walmart and Amazon started crowding the market with huge stores\u2014online and offline\u2014where people could get many of the same goods more cheaply and conveniently. However, Toys &#8220;R&#8221; Us\u2019s leadership <a href=\"https:\/\/innovolo-group.com\/misc\/the-6-reasons-why-toys-r-us-failed-how-to-avoid-the-same-fate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">seriously underestimated the threat to their market dominance<\/a>: Nobody thought to ask, \u201c<em>Why <\/em>do people like our competitors more than us? <em>What if <\/em>online purchasing is more than a fad? <em>How <\/em>might we compete with these new business models? <em>Why not<\/em> implement them ourselves?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because it failed to ask and answer questions like these, Toys &#8220;R&#8221; Us was forced out of the marketplace by disruptive competitors, and the company declared bankruptcy in 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/business-hierarchy-of-needs-2\/\">Hierarchy of Business Needs<\/a><\/strong><br><br>Different authors have different ideas about how to make a business more successful. Gary Hamel and Michele Zanini propose one strategy in their business guide <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/humanocracy\/1-page-summary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Humanocracy<\/em><\/a>\u2014and, while they don\u2019t explicitly discuss the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/power-of-questions\/\">importance of questioning<\/a>, their principles may be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/app\/book\/humanocracy\/1-page-summary#the-pyramid-of-business-needs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">easier to implement<\/a> if you also apply Berger\u2019s ideas about fundamental questions.<br><br><em>Humanocracy<\/em> outlines a hierarchy of needs that all businesses must fulfill if they want to succeed. Much like Maslow\u2019s famous hierarchy of human needs, Hamel and Zanini\u2019s hierarchy begins with fundamental needs (what a business needs to survive) and builds up to what businesses need to thrive.<br><br>Their hierarchy has six levels. The bottom three, the fundamental needs, are <em>compliance<\/em> (following laws, regulations, and best practices), <em>conscientiousness<\/em> (employees doing their jobs reliably), and <em>proficiency<\/em> (employees being skilled at their jobs). Until these needs are met, a company can\u2019t function at all.&nbsp;<br><br>However, Hamel and Zanini say that the best companies continue working their way up the hierarchy of business needs. The top three levels of the hierarchy\u2014what a business needs in order to <em>thrive<\/em>, not just survive\u2014are where Berger\u2019s fundamental questions might come into play. These top three tiers are:<br><br><strong>Tier 4: Proactiveness.<\/strong> Instead of waiting to be told what to do, employees are empowered to take action and solve problems on their own. This is where \u201c<em>why?<\/em>\u201d and \u201c<em>why not?<\/em>\u201d questions may come into play\u2014employees should be asking, \u201c<em>Why<\/em> are things the way they are?\u201d and \u201c<em>Why not<\/em> try something different?\u201d<br><br><strong>Tier 5: Ingenuity.<\/strong> In this tier, employees don\u2019t only take action and solve problems\u2014they also do so effectively by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-be-more-creative\/\">being creative<\/a>. This tier is where \u201c<em>what if?<\/em>\u201d questions should be encouraged, as these help you make novel and creative connections\u2014for example, \u201c<em>What if<\/em> the company tweaked its business model in a certain way or added a certain product to its lineup?\u201d<br><br><strong>Tier 6: Courage.<\/strong> Employees are willing and able to implement risky ideas and solutions. This is the tier where they should be asking \u201c<em>how?<\/em>\u201d\u2014 \u201c<em>How<\/em> can they turn their what-if scenarios from the previous tier into reality?\u201d&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-question-storming-sessions\">Question-Storming Sessions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Berger suggests that to encourage people to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/fundamental-questions\/\">ask fundamental questions<\/a> that support their company, you could try replacing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-brainstorm-effectively\/\">brainstorming<\/a> sessions with what he calls <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/alternative-to-brainstorming\/\">question-storming<\/a> sessions<\/em>. Instead of asking employees to come up with ideas, ask them to come up with questions. There\u2019s no pressure to answer those questions right away; they\u2019re simply possibilities for the group to explore later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once a fundamental question has identified a serious issue, your next step should be to ask \u201c<em>what if?<\/em>\u201d<em> <\/em>questions, even ones that propose strange and outlandish options. Finally, choose one (or more) of those \u201c<em>what if?<\/em>\u201d<em> <\/em>scenarios and start asking \u201c<em>how?<\/em>\u201d<em> <\/em>you could make it a reality.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What question launched Uber? What questions did Toys &#8220;R&#8221; Us leaders fail to ask? The most successful companies ask a lot of questions. And, they ask the right questions. That&#8217;s the view of Warren Berger. In his book A More Beautiful Question, he explains why every person in every workplace needs to ask the fundamental questions \u201cwhy,\u201d \u201cwhy not,\u201d \u201cwhat if,\u201d and \u201chow.\u201d Continue reading to learn about these &#8220;beautiful questions&#8221; to ask in business.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":77045,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,79,14],"tags":[1271],"class_list":["post-113918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-entrepreneurship","category-management","tag-a-more-beautiful-question","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Questions to Ask in Business: Fostering Curiosity &amp; Creativity - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Every person in every workplace needs to ask Why, Why not, What if, and How. 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