thoughts and expressions

Work: A More Beautiful Question
Author: Warren Berger
ISBN: 978-1-63286-105-4

Within a few hours prior to the New Years, I felt a sudden urge to take up research again. In that moment, I also wondered why I lost my spark for research. I may not still know why but I was determined to get it back and decided to read works on this topic.

Unashamedly, I looked to ChatGPT for help and asked it “self help books to re-pique interest in research” and it suggested various books under several categories.

“A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas” by Warren Berger was listed under the category On Creativity and Problem Solving.

It had pretty good reviews and I thought to myself: maybe I can use this book for my side projects as well.

Until I have my knowledge forest idea off the ground, this post will be updated frequently on the notes I have for myself for this book.

Categories of notes:

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Quote (Page 2)

It is a time of great uncertainty – which means it is a time for questioning… it enables us to organize our thinking around what we don’t know

The “time of great uncertainty” is in reference to the world after the pandemic and major shifts in political power.

Interesting (Page 2)

Research suggests that after going through a crisis, we become more open to changing our minds. If, during times of uncertainty and dynamic change, we observe that certain rules we once took for granted suddenly have been overturned, this may then cause us to begin questioning other basic assumptions, too – because we now understand that assumptions can be questioned, that things don’t have to stay the way they’ve been in the past.

The pandemic, a time of great uncertainty, has caused changes in lifestyles. Due to this, our minds are more malleable, question our surroundings, and ask questions which go against the grain.

I would say that there is an example where this may not hold – people who refuse to change. They may ask questions but it doesn’t necessarily come from curiosity – it’s more of a refusal of change.

Thought-Provoking (Page 3)

We have never been properly taught how to question, nor encouraged to do so

This is so true. Except for the Who, What, Where, When, Why, How framework for analyzing literary texts and articles, we were never taught a proper framework for questions.

Actionable (Page 4)

Einstein was deliberate in choosing which questions to tackle… if he had an hour to solve a problem and his life depended on it, he’d spend the first fifty-five minutes making sure he was answering the right question

When a question comes across my mind which needs to be answered, I do sometimes get the notion if I’m asking the right question or is my question formatted properly. Einstein brings up a good point, another aspect is “am I answering the right question” and this helps choose whether this question is worth tackling or not.

Thought-Provoking (Page 4)

One study found the average four-year-old British girl asks her poor mum 390 questions a day; the boys that age aren’t far behind.

This begs me to ask: how do I keep the inquisitive mind within my children, even past the age of four. Is it by encouraging him/her to question more? Is it by prompting them with more questions?

Actionable (Page 5)

the most creative, successful business leaders have tended to be expert questioners. They’re known to question the conventional wisdom of their industry, the fundamental practices of their company, even the validity of their own assumptions.

Quote (Page 6)

Why don’t companies train people to question and create systems and environments that would encourage them to keep doing so?

And if companies were to attempt this, how might they go about it?

I’m lucky in the sense that my company encourages questions. They don’t have to train anyone to question but rather encourages the behavior from the get-go. I believe the main trait of the company to even enable this environment is to hire inquisitive people. People who ask questions, no matter how stupid or far-fetched they may be, are the ones who get on-boarded. Berger goes onto say “questions challenge authority and disrupt established structures, processes, and systems” – this thought does not exist in my workplace. In fact, if a question doesn’t seem answerable, that means something is wrong with its practices or processes and the question will be addressed soon enough.

Thought-Provoking (Page 6)

The neurologist John Kounios observes that the brain finds ways to “reduce our mental workload,” and one way is to accept without question much of which is doing on around us at any time

I’m curious as to know how to determine the line between asking if answering the right question and discarding it and whether to accept something to reduce the mental workload.

I am no stranger to accepting things as they are as a way to not learn more or fall into the rabbit hole. It’s very ignorant of me. I need to do better.

Structure (Page 7)

“We’ve transitioned into always transitioning,” according to… John Seely Bown. In such times, the ability to ask thoughtful questions and… to know what to do with those questions once they’ve raised…

Structure (Page 7)

I devised a three-part Why/What If/How model for applying questioning to various challenges or problems…catalytic questioning tends to follow a logical progression, one that often starts with stepping back and seeing things differently and ends with taking action on a particular question.

Quote (Page 7)

The best innovators… are focused on just trying to get to the next question.

These innovators are not looking to get the answer right away. Their goal is different, it’s to get to the next question because there is never a dearth of questions to be asked.

Structure (Page 8)

chapter on interpersonal questioning is about using questions to better connect with others,…, skills of listening, asking follow-up questions, and building rapport.

Quote (Page 8)

A beautiful question is an ambitious yet actionable question that can begin to shift the way we perceive or think about something – and that might serve as a catalyst to bring about change.

Following this definition of “a beautiful question, Berger specifically mentions that this book is not about answering the big, philosophical questions in life. They are not actionable.They cannot lead us to tangible results and change. He goes on to mention that although people are asking more questions now than ever before, the distinction is about the quantity of questions rather than the quality and thoughtfulness of the questions. This book is more concerned with questions that require a different kind of search (not Google): What is the fresh idea that will help my business stand out? What if I come at my work or my art in a whole different way? How might I tackle a long-standing problem that has affected my community, my family?

Thought-Provoking (Page 12)

questioning… has an inverse relationship to expertise… within their own subject areas, experts are apt to be poor questioners… If you “know,” there’s no reason to ask; yet if you don’t ask, then you are relying on “expert” knowledge that is certainly limited, may be outdated, and could be altogether wrong.

Berger, prior to this, brings up a good point – some fields have problems in which governments or large corporations are rushing to solve them. It’s not attractive of a domain or profitable. This is key. Look where no one is looking, look where everyone refuses to look because they have accepted the ordinary.
Don’t make it a “why can’t they…”, make it a “why can’t I…”

Vocabulary (Page 13)

independent inventor and inveterate questioner

having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established and unlikely to change

Thought-Provoking (Page 13)

[Mark] Noonan observes that if you never actually do anything about a problem yourself, then you’re not really questioning – you’re complaining.

I’m convicted of this. Though many times I think I ignore when I’m complaining, it’s rather that I don’t want to put myself into a position where I have to do more than what’s necessary. I’m still complaining no matter what.

I have to think:

1. why can’t this be done better?
2. how can this be done better?

Interesting (Page 13)

Regina Dugan… has observed about problems in general, “We think someone else – someone smarter than us, someone more capable, with more resources – will solve that problem. But there isn’t anyone else.

This is very interesting that this is brought up right after I was discussing the previous quote. If there truly is someone out there to solve the problem, why haven’t they done so already? Why can’t I? Why shouldn’t I?

Interesting (Page 14)

Right Question Institute

An actual organization where they teach by methods of questioning and participating in the democracy.

Interesting (Page 15)

one of the primary drivers of questioning is an awareness of what we don’t know – which is a form of higher awareness that separates… the smart and curious person from the dullard who doesn’t know or care. Good questioners tend to be aware of… their own ignorance… but they constantly probe the vast ignorance using the question flashlight.

Further-Future (Page 15)

Ignorance: How It Drives Science by Stuart Firestein

Interesting (Page 16)

…wrote: “Would there not be some means, during a period of peace and calm, of forming relief societies whose object would be to have the wounded cared for in time of war by enthusiastic, devoted volunteers, fully qualified for the task?” And thus the Red Cross national relief societies were born…

Look into the formation of the Red Cross by Henry Dunant

Interesting (Page 17)

Questions through a process of divergent to convergent thinking
Questioning begins in divergent thinking which is associated with imagination and triggers random association of ideas (creativity). So this begins with the “what-if”.
These questions eventually go through convergent thinking for meta cognitive thinking. They are analyzed and reflected upon.

Interesting (Page 18-19)

…innovation means trying to find and formulate new questions, that can, over time, be answered. Those questions… often become the basis for starting a new venture…

…the rise of a number of today’s top tech firms… can be traced to a Why doesn’t somebody or What if we were to question…

“Now that we know what we know, what’s possible?” – Sebastian Thrun

Thought-Provoking (Page 19)

…decided to do something about it…

Netflix founder Reed Hastings was frustrated with Blockbuster’s late fees. Thus he decided to do something about and came up with the question “What if a video-rental business were run like a health club?”

Similarly, Polaroid: “Why do we have to wait for the picture?”. Pixar: “Can animation be cuddly?”

Interesting (Page 21)

Changing tracks in a career is a form of innovation, on a personal level – and requires the same kind of rigorous inquiry that a business should undertake in pursuing a new direction or strategy. What’s required is not just a onetime adaptation; more likely, we’ll all have to be adept at continually changing tracks as we move forward.

It’s undeniably true that workers have to evolve and come up with new ideas; however, this is a forever continuing process and it all begins with questions.

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last updated: February 14 2025 January 6 2025 January 5 2025