The Question Behind the Question

This is another installment of our continuing series from John G. Miller's book, QBQ! The Question Behind the Question.

Chapter 11 - "When will we get more tools and better systems?"

Most of us have heard the saying, "Creativity is thinking outside the box." There’s a lot of truth in that, but to me true creativity is this:

Succeeding within the box.

Hitting targets, reaching goals, doing the job well and making a difference with what we already have is the QBQ way. Every organization has imperfect systems and finite resources. We may wish we had newer tools, better systems, more people and bigger budgets. But thinking too much about what we’d like to have is another cause of procrastination. Managers, for example, won’t take their group through team-building until "all the right people are in place." Individuals won’t make a decision until they have all the information, or take action until all the questions are answered.

Ironically, succeeding with what we have makes us more likely to get the things we wanted in the first place. Listen to the wisdom of Deb Weber from State Farm Insurance: "I find that every time I do the job with the tools I have, I tend to receive more tools." It’s a truth: We sow, then we reap.

Focusing on what we don’t have is a waste of time and energy. To really make a difference, let’s instead focus our energy on succeeding within the box. Let’s ask the QBQ, "How can I achieve with the resources I already have?"