I want to introduce the concept of an inquiry, because I would like to publish more of them, and I think you’ll get more use out of them (and won’t think I’m quite so nutty) if I explain what they are and how to use them.
In coaching, an Inquiry is a powerful, open-ended question that is given as “homework” for the client to think about between coaching conversations. The aim is discovery and personal learning. The best use is to set aside some quiet time to journal a response to the question, and to follow all the roads down which your mind travels. As part of the coaching toolkit, the inquiry is usually specific to your personal situation stemming from the immediate conversation; however, I believe that a somewhat random question can be equally enlightening if you choose to make the best of it. At any rate, setting some time aside to use your brain differently is a worthwhile investment.
During the course of my days, I frequently have an experience that later I try to link back to organizational change and leadership – although most of the time the link is not obvious. In the spirit of creativity, I write about the possible implications and then pose an inquiry to the readers to take the learning further for themselves.
So, when you see me post an inquiry, I invite you to step away from your task list and spend 5-10 minutes pondering or journaling about how you might answer the question. Many new ideas come by looking at things from a whole new perspective. I hope one of my questions might provide that breakthrough for you.