QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: What to Really Ask Yourself to Eliminate Blame, Complaining, and Procrastination
It’s a short book that presents a simple but profound idea: ask the right questions and not only will you get the right answers but you’ll make superior choices. The “right questions”, for John Miller, are ones that foster personal accountability and result in immediate action. The wrong questions–“IQs” or “incorrect questions”–are ones that shift responsibility to others and result in procrastination and victim thinking.
Miller’s highly accessible book is chock full of parables, cute one-liners and examples of questions. It’s such an easy read that I’m considering recommending it to my 12-year old daughter, who has a first-class seat on the blame train. The principles are basic. Don’t ask “Why do I get stuck doing all the work?” but rather “How can I make sure that everyone contributes?”. Instead of “When is this company going to make a profit?” ask “What can I do to make a sale today?”. Refuse the temptation to point fingers. It’s not “Who dropped the ball?” but “How can I be a better leader?” or “What can I do to move this project forward?”.
It’s lucky that it’s a short book. Because Miller closes by admonishing the reader to reinforce its tenets by reading it all over again.
Sage Portfolio Group has invited its clients to read books like QBQ! prior to hosting workshops on topics like creating a corporate culture of accountability and personal responsibility. Books are helpful ways to introduce topics and generate excitement. Workshops, then, allow in-depth discussion, exploration of complexity and practise. Clients will then often enroll employees in our coaching gym program, where we use one-on-one, on-demand coaching calls to reinforce principles and allow further practice in real-life, real-time situations. It beats having to read the book again.
