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A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas Kindle Edition

by Warren Berger (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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To get the best answer-in business, in life-you have to ask the best possible question. Innovation expert Warren Berger shows that ability is both an art and a science.

It may be the most underappreciated tool at our disposal, one we learn to use well in infancy-and then abandon as we grow older. Critical to learning, innovation, success, even to happiness-yet often discouraged in our schools and workplaces-it can unlock new business opportunities and reinvent industries, spark creative insights at many levels, and provide a transformative new outlook on life. It is the ability to question-and to do so deeply, imaginatively, and “beautifully.”

In this fascinating exploration of the surprising power of questioning, innovation expert Warren Berger reveals that powerhouse businesses like Google, Nike, and Netflix, as well as hot Silicon Valley startups like Pandora and Airbnb, are fueled by the ability to ask fundamental, game-changing questions. But Berger also shares human stories of people using questioning to solve everyday problems-from “How can I adapt my career in a time of constant change?” to “How can I step back from the daily rush and figure out what really makes me happy?”

By showing how to approach questioning with an open, curious mind and a willingness to work through a series of “Why,” “What if,” and “How” queries, Berger offers an inspiring framework of how we can all arrive at better solutions, fresh possibilities, and greater success in business and life.

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Berger emphasizes the power of inquiry as he challenges us to see things with a fresh eye. He concentrates on game-changing questions, those that can result in actions that lead to real results. The author focuses on innovation and invention stories, explaining that in business, questions challenge authority and disrupt established structures, processes, and systems, forcing people to at least consider something different. Berger offers his framework for problem solving in three stages. The initial “why” stage involves seeing and understanding, which include noticing what others missed and challenging both our own and others’ assumptions. The second, “what-if,” stage is about imagining that blue-sky moment of questioning when anything is possible; and the third, the “how to” action stage, is about doing. Asking the right questions will help us discover what matters, what opportunities exist, and how to find them. This thought-provoking book offers important insights to executives, and to those aspiring to leadership, for their business and personal use. --Mary Whaley

Review

“We know that the art of asking questions is at the heart of discovery in science, philosophy, medicine―so why don’t we extend that power to all areas of our lives? The thoughtful, provocative questions Warren Berger raises in this book are indeed the kind of ‘beautiful questions’ that can help us identify the right problems and generate creative solutions.” ―Daniel Pink, New York Times bestselling author of Drive and To Sell Is Human

“In the old economy, it was all about having the answers. But in today's dynamic, lean economy, it's more about asking the right questions. A More Beautiful Question is about figuring out how to ask, and answer, the questions that can lead to new opportunities and growth.” ―Eric Ries, New York Times best-selling author of The Lean Startup

“In this wise book, Warren Berger shows us how crucial it is to question every aspect of our lives, from business to school to our choice of toothpaste. My question: Why wouldn't you read this book?” ―A.J. Jacobs, New York Times bestselling author and Esquire columnist

“The genesis of many great startups is the simple question, ‘Wouldn't it be cool if?' Warren Berger helps you understand the power of questions to change the world. Real men ask questions, they don't spout out answers.” ―Guy Kawasaki, former chief evangelist at Apple and author of APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur

“Berger presents a simple three-part framework, the 'Why-What If-How' model , to guide effective inquiry.” ―The New York Times Book Review

“This thought-provoking book offers important insights to executives, and to those aspiring to leadership, for their business and personal use.” ―Booklist

“A practical testament to the significance of the questioning mind.” ―Kirkus Reviews

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00GC53AG8
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury USA; 1st edition (March 4, 2014)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 4, 2014
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3744 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 256 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #100,160 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #41 in Creativity Self-Help
- #73 in Business Decision-Making
- #208 in Business Leadership

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Warren Berger

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I'm a longtime journalist (The New York Times Magazine, Wired, GQ, Reader's Digest), book author, and speaker who has written about a variety of subjects over the years—creativity, innovation, and questioning being particular favorites.

I’ve interviewed and studied hundreds of the world’s leading innovators, designers, and creative thinkers to analyze how they ask fundamental questions, solve problems, and create new possibilities.

Over the past 10 years, I've zeroed in on the power of questioning in our lives. It's a skill we all have innately but it falls into disuse for many of us as we move through school and the business world. And that's a shame. On my blog amorebeautifulquestion.com and in articles for Fast Company and the Harvard Business Review I've written about why questioning leads to innovation, how it can help you be more successful in your career, and how we can all get better at asking the kind of “beautiful questions” that spark change in our businesses and lives.

My "inquiry into the value of inquiry" led to the 2014 bestseller A MORE BEAUTIFUL QUESTION: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas (Bloomsbury) in March 2014. Next followed THE BOOK OF BEAUTIFUL QUESTIONS (2018), featuring more than 400 provocative and useful questions, anecdotes, and examples that will help you DECIDE, CREATE, CONNECT, and LEAD. And then BEAUTIFUL QUESTIONS IN THE CLASSROOM (2020), fulfilling my mission to spread the message of good questioning to educators and the next generation of students.

Previous to the beautiful question books, l wrote the international bestseller Glimmer: How Design Can Transform Business and Your Life (Penguin; 2009; retitled "CAD Monkeys, Dinosaur Babies, and T-Shaped People" in the U.S. Penguin paperback).

Find out more about me and my books at https://AMoreBeautifulQuestion.com and https://WarrenBerger.com.

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James Williamson

a preacher

Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2024

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I really enjoyed the way you combine others to answer the beautiful question.

It really helps you rethink the power of a question

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Alan L. Chase

An Inspiring Look At Inquiry Leading To Innovation

Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2016

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I recently attended an excellent seminar for senior executives called "Authentic Leadership." The facilitator of my small group had some encouraging things to say about the way that I frame questions. He then added: "I think that you would enjoy reading 'A More Beautiful Question.'" At his urging, I ordered the book and found that he was correct in his prognostication. I found this book to be intriguing and inspiring.

Using some excellent cases to illustrate principles, author Warren Berger discusses "The Power of Inquiry To Spark Breakthrough Ideas." He quotes liberally from such icons of innovation as Joichi Ito of the MIT Media Lab, David Kelly of IDEO, and Clayton Christensen of Harvard Business School. My office is contained within a hub of innovation, the Cambridge Innovation Center ,on the campus of MIT, so I am always intrigued to learn new lessons about innovation and the things that may spark it.

One of the threads that weaves itself throughout this book is the fact that children are natural questioners. It is only as we grow older that we tend to squelch our innate propensity to ask questions in order to better understand ourselves and the world around us. In this book, Mr. Berger offers many examples of individuals and companies that he re-learned the art of asking great questions.

I was intrigued to learn that Edwin Land, the father of instant photography, was prompted to develop this technology when his young daughter innocently asked him why they had to wait to see a photograph that he had taken when they were on vacation as a family.

He makes specific suggestions, based on research done at the Right Question Institute, regarding how to frame appropriate questions at each stage of a process of exploration, discovery and innovation. One insight that stood out for me was the use of terminology that is useful in a group setting that disarms defensive posture on the part of those participating in the conversation. The form of the question that often provokes healthy discussion is to ask: "How might we . . . .?" He also describes the technique that has worked for many companies of replacing "brainstorming" with "question storming."

His final challenge which he poses in the final chapter of the book, is to ask how each individual might frame "a more beautiful question" that frames and sparks inquiry and endeavors to provide meaning and purpose for the rest of one's life. Inspiring!

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Joe Conway (he, him, his)

Fear not! Ask anyway!

Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2020

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BOOK REVIEW: "A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas by Warren Berger.

Such a great book that really causes the mind to wander, question, and unpack several deep-seated narratives about self and the world outside. There is a natural ability to question that often gets squelched by social constructs that say "fall in line" with everyone else. Teachers eventually ask the questions instead of the students. Students who become adults and working-class citizens stop asking questions for fear of being called out, embarrassed for not knowing, or reprimanded for not asking their question "the right" way.

The "right way"? LOL! 😂 Ever been stuck in the car with a 3-year old who wants to know why the sky is blue?
There is no right or wrong way to ask a question unless one is asking a question to which they already know the answer(s). This type of questioning has a tendency to insult the one being asked and can be perceived as manipulative and arrogant. Steer clear of this type of questioning if you want to gain a person's trust or cooperation.

Ask questions with the curiosity of a child!

Kids are awesome! Kids have a natural tendency, and without any inhibitions, I might add, to ask questions to help them frame in the world around them. They are not embarrassed until made to feel so. They may even repeat the question because the answers we give them are insufficient or they believe we did not understand their inquiry. But somewhere along their developmental pathway, the kids stop asking questions and others start asking them the questions. Teaching to the test (if you will), whether that test is on some academic level or in a professional career.

How does one break that cycle and get back to that child-like curiosity? Asking questions one truly DOES NOT know the answers to but is willing to ask in order to find out. Willing to be embarrassed! Willing to be ridiculed! Willing to be innovative! Willing to be vulnerable! People we each would consider great inventors, innovators, and thinking have this ability to question everything. This book helps to provide that pathway through Why?, What If?, and How? to get to the potential" solution.

This book discusses: 1) The Power of Inquiry, 2) Why We Stop Questioning, 3) The Why, What If, and the How of Innovative Questioning, 4) Questions in Business, and 5) Questioning Life. I will share with you that each of us has not 'stopped' questioning per se but we do it in safe spaces. We do it in our minds where there is no judgment but our own. We do it when we work on something we love such as cooking, hiking, vacation planning, driving, decorating, and other tasks. We may ask, "Why do we always take the same route to work?" "What if I took an alternate route?" "How would I get there and would it save time?" This is a safe space as it is not determined by others, but almost by me entirely with the small or large exception of others on the road. The point is that the decisions are mine with consequences I own, and the risk 'feel' fairly small. But to ask a question in front of my colleagues and peers...well that's another matter entirely! Fear immediately takes over and preconceived potential outcomes flood the mind.

John Seely Brown points out that questioning by students can easily come to be seen as a threat by some teachers. “If you come from the belief that teachers are meant to be authoritative, then teachers are going to tend to want to cut off questioning that might reveal what they don’t know. (pp.56-57)” Furthermore, questioning within a business environment can also create a perceived threat to authority. Those with expertise may resent having their learned views questioned by nonexperts. Managers trying to keep things moving may feel they shouldn’t have to answer a subordinate’s questions. Questioning may be seen as slowing progress, particularly by those who believe that what the company needs most are “answers, not more questions. (p.166)”

I happen to believe, promote, practice, encourage, and reward people, peers, and direct reports when they ask questions. When I taught many in our organization Lean Methodology and Strategy Principles I would make sure that they understood, "The only stupid question is the one you do not ask!!!" I try to practice the same principle on my social media platforms. Many times I do not even care "how" the person may ask because it may be coming from a place of frustration, anger, sadness, depression, or misunderstanding. Why is it so wrong for them to ask? Just to know more...to be validated and heard...to have someone listen without judgment and without ridiculing them. We all need that safe space if we are going to grow, have meaningful discord, innovate, and move on to more opportunities to question.

While I enjoyed the book and it confirmed many of my existing practices around questioning, to walk this path will come at a price and great reward. When we question others, as stated earlier, some will assume you are questioning their authority. First, I'd say "stay the course" and develop a thick skin. "A good way to become unpopular in a business meeting is to ask, “Why are we doing this?”—even though the question may be entirely justified. It often takes a thick-skinned outsider to be willing to even try (p.76).

Second, I would get really skilled at 'how' you ask the questions. Sometimes a politely stated question is not clearly understood nor investigated, especially if folks have been playing nice, tactful, and whispering sweet nothings into one another's ears for several repeated meetings with no real outcomes. As we say in Lean Strategies, "If you've had several monthly meetings about the same problem with no potential cause for action or solution, you are NOT trying to solve the problem, you're ADMIRING it!" Sometimes you may have to change 'how' you ask a question because you may never see the people you are working with again (e.g. a consultant at a conference or in a one-off meeting). Other times when you know this will be a repeated event a softer more tactful approach is always more appropriate.

Finally, do not give up. Mistakes will happen. You may have to clarify your question(s), but don't stop asking. We have the Red Cross today because Henry Dunant asked about preparation during peacetime so that we were ready in times of war. Bette Nesmith Graham thought about the ability to paint over mistakes and liquid paper was born. And when Dwayne Douglas asked, "Why aren't players urinating more after games?" (like who measures THAT!), we got Gatorade! Cracker Jacks, windshield wipers, intermittent windshield wiper setting in cars, NETFLIX, Pandora Radio, Morse code, and many other innovative ideas started with WHY?, WHAT IF? and HOW?

Enjoy the book! I'll be reading this one again!

2 people found this helpful

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Cliente Kindle

Excellent book v

Reviewed in Brazil on June 6, 2022

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A good book to reflect about the goals we define in our lives and careers, and the way we can go by following the questions we create.
I recommend it for any people who want to regckon on decision-making or even only understand how to generate better questions. As a professor it was inspiring for me. Business Professors should read it. Say the same to business leaders.

Amazon customer

enlivening

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 29, 2024

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A book that asks obvious and less obvious questions rather than positing someone’s formula for a well-lived life feels refreshing and honest.
Tools to continue exploring and growing, but in your own way…the questions that might help you write your own manual for life.

DULCE KUO

buen título

Reviewed in Mexico on November 6, 2019

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libro ampliamente recomendable

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arun kumar

Questioning as a way of living life

Reviewed in India on October 27, 2017

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The quality of your life is determined by the quality of question you ask. On hearing this quote and intrigued, searching for a book on understanding the art of questioning and bought this book.

This book did a good job of emphasising the importance of questioning by providing examples of how interesting questions resulted in starting of big companies.

The framework of questioning including not not on asking questions but how to get that into action and have questioning follow during the entire process is beneficial.

Questioning in business and life covers various questions that can be asked to realize the way things we do repetitively on reflux without understanding why, step back, ask questions, refine it, obtain clarity and optimize or change actions.

Overall a great book on starting the journey of questioning and thinking.

4 people found this helpful

Amid Soleimani Yazdi

Great for curious mindset

Reviewed in Australia on August 29, 2020

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Great book if you are on a journey to find ideas and problems to solve and need some inspiration to start

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