Rules of Thumb
I have been reading this great book Rules of Thumb off and on for a couple of months and every time I re-open it up and read another rule of thumb it seems to resonate in a timely way and today was no exception.
Rule #10 A Good Question Beats A Good Answer
The author used the example of his friendship with Jim Collins who has written 3 really impactful books… Built to Last Good to Great, and How the Mighty Have Fallen. When Allen Webber saw Jim he asked him what he was working on. Jim said “I’m looking for a good question.” He said all of his books have come from asking a really good question.
So What you might ask… well it is in asking questions that we learn. Which means questions are how we create change.
Questions are liberating, useful, how we avoid disasters, are at times very dangerous to our positions or our lives.
Webber states that if you want your company (or Church) to be committed to innovation you need to be a questions company (Church/Christ Follower) much more than an answers company (Church/Christ Follower).
How many times have we as a church or as a Christ follower answered questions that nobody was really asking?
Have you ever really stopped and asked… why won’t they listen to me, or why won’t they come to church, why won’t they change…?
I believe if we are going to be about the mission of giving all men and women repeated opportunities to hear and see the life giving message of Jesus Christ we will need to ask some better questions and get after answering them.
I love what Mark Batterson has said numerous times – there are ways to do church that we have never even thought of yet – that will only be discovered by asking good questions no great questions.
Webber says in closing rule of thumb #11… “It’s not what you don’t know that will hurt you and your business. it’s what you don’t bother to ask that will kill you. Asking questions can be dangerous, not asking them can be fatal.”
How much more true is it for us as the Church/Christ Followers to ask questions and how much more at stake is there than just a business not making it?
Any questions?
