Let me tell you two stories about questions. The first story involves a very smart man; the second story involves a not-so-smart man.
Story # 1 goes like this: At the beginning of term during my early years at Harvard Extension School, my all-time favourite professor, Shaye J. D. Cohen, told each of his students that there is no such thing as stupid questions, only stupid answers.
With that, he encouraged each of us to ask questions during the term, and not to be afraid that our questions might sound dumb.
True to his word, he did answer every one of our questions without the slightest hint of rebuke or annoyance – something that few of us experience during our schooling. Typically a ‘B/C’ student, I aced Professor Cohen’s class and I was a lot smarter once the term was finished.
I thought about this a lot and concluded that Professor Cohen is probably the smartest man I have ever met and I figured it was all to do with this attitude towards questions.
Story # 2 goes like this: I was working as a clerical temp at the local town hall when I met someone with a very different attitude towards questions.
A director of one of three divisions of local government, who will remain nameless, called a very important meeting to which managers and staff from all over the local council were called to attend. During this meeting, the director gave a long and important speech about what needed to be done in a very short timespan. At the end of his presentation, one member of staff raised their hand and asked a question.
Now this man had obviously never taken a class by Professor Cohen and didn’t know there was no such thing as stupid questions, only stupid answers. This director decided not answer the question but to ridicule the staff member who asked it, all in front of the assembled crowd.
Needless to say, no more questions were asked and the meeting was disbanded. People came out of that meeting without a clue as to what they were supposed to be doing, but no-one dared to ask any more questions.
A few months later, when cost-cutting measures were introduced, that director was the first to lose his job. I thought about this a lot and concluded that this director is probably the dumbest person I have ever met and I figured it was all to do with his attitude towards questions.
Questions make everyone smarter, and it seems that the smartest people are the ones who know this.
How to use The Professor Formula in your own life:
- Encourage those around you to ask questions and then give them the best answers you can, without rebuke or ridicule.
- See how this smart guy builds his business by encouraging questions. Also, see how this guy saved his company by answering questions. And don’t you think it is interesting that Richard Branson encourages the same?
- Start asking more questions anytime you don’t understand something, or need more clarity. Remember there is no such thing as a stupid question, although there is no guarantee you’ll find someone as smart as Professor Cohen to give you answers. But don’t let that stop you.
Louise x
