3 ms·

I have a verbal 'tick': I ask 'Why?' all the time. When I ask it, I mean: "What was your thinking that lead to you making that statement or claim?" I learned

by ci5er 11y ago

I have a verbal 'tick': I ask 'Why?' all the time. When I ask it, I mean: "What was your thinking that lead to you making that statement or claim?" I learned some time ago that regardless of MY intent in asking it, somehow, people act as if they are being attacked or disagreed with. I'm just looking for context and trying to understand the reasoning process. If we, as a culture, can't even ask "Why?", then I have to assume that (professional) real-time subjective assessment would be a big non-starter for people. Culturally, in the US, anyway.

m52go 11y ago
A large part of my motivation to start my own company is to define my own culture. How is one to progress without asking 'why'? How is asking 'why' once a year (and in abstract, politically-correct terms) supposed to help us? Why not do it better, faster? And for the commenter above, how is asking 'why' not professional? Clearly there are professional ways of going about it. I wonder why so many people think like that. Especially when it's understood that when bad things happen in business, it's 'just business as usual' (e.g., getting fired is often said to be 'just business as usual'...nothing personal). Then why can't we be more transparent about feedback in the workplace? For the record, I think what you're calling a 'tick' is a virtue.
- ci5er 11y ago
  > For the record, I think what you're calling a 'tick' is a virtue. Very kind of you to say. The automatic way I point the question at anybody who crosses my path may say otherwise. I have noted that in personal argumentation, in the US and Japan, that the word is not often not used as a tool for inquiry. I've seen it wielded more as an accusation or bludgeon, and it may be this dual-use that make people sensitive to the word itself. The child's response to any answer with a "why?", is truly a really excellent algorithm for getting to the bottom of things.

by ci5er 11y ago

m52go 11y ago

A large part of my motivation to start my own company is to define my own culture. How is one to progress without asking 'why'? How is asking 'why' once a year (and in abstract, politically-correct terms) supposed to help us? Why not do it better, faster? And for the commenter above, how is asking 'why' not professional? Clearly there are professional ways of going about it. I wonder why so many people think like that. Especially when it's understood that when bad things happen in business, it's 'just business as usual' (e.g., getting fired is often said to be 'just business as usual'...nothing personal). Then why can't we be more transparent about feedback in the workplace? For the record, I think what you're calling a 'tick' is a virtue.

ci5er 11y ago
> For the record, I think what you're calling a 'tick' is a virtue. Very kind of you to say. The automatic way I point the question at anybody who crosses my path may say otherwise. I have noted that in personal argumentation, in the US and Japan, that the word is not often not used as a tool for inquiry. I've seen it wielded more as an accusation or bludgeon, and it may be this dual-use that make people sensitive to the word itself. The child's response to any answer with a "why?", is truly a really excellent algorithm for getting to the bottom of things.