The Power of Inquiry

Dealing with growing volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity in everyday life is presenting us with new challenges. This is because our own nervous system is “structurally coupled” with our environment. For example, when we breathe out carbon dioxide the trees breathe it in and then breathe out the oxygen that we need to breathe in. Every aspect of our life is interconnected with our environment. So what connections should we be focusing on to thrive in a rapidly changing VUCA World?

A new awareness is needed. The pace of life cannot speed up indefinitely, nor can economies continue to grow forever. A good starting point would be to realise that we can only change how we think, experience and interpret reality. So what makes changing our thinking so difficult? What can self-observation teach us? What can we change in ourselves to change the world we live in?

“Unlike a drop of water which loses its identity when it joins the ocean, man does not lose his being in the society in which he lives. Man’s life is independent. He is born not for the development of the society alone, but for the development of his self.” – B R Ambedkar

Being a more Powerful Observer

Let’s explore what we can do to know ourselves better and understand what we can do to adapt to a world that is changing exponentially. Stephen Covey points us to the principle of “seeking first to understand”. When we do this we are inquiring into what we are observing, devoid of the pitfalls of judgement, defensiveness, assumptions or the conflicts they can generate. This is never easy. Changing a habit takes lots of conscious practice.

The most valuable habit is to stand in a place of inquiry where we can question our beliefs to reveal our hidden assumptions and then assess if they are still useful to us. This helps to raise our awareness and remove any blindness to what is not serving your best interests. We can also question the assumptions of others, but only with curiosity, not judgement. We cannot change when we cannot see what is dividing rather than connecting us.

Discovering the Power of Curiosity

Research by the Harvard Business School shows that exercising curiosity and finding coherence in our Way of Being can lead to fewer conflicts and the exploration of assumptions. Conventional leaders believe that fostering curiosity is inefficient and leads to unproductive conversations. In an unpredictable and complex environment, we enter a world where we have to embrace uncertainty and be curious about alternative ways of doing things. It is needed if we are to find new insights and possibilities for questioning how best to respond to rapid shifts in customer behaviour, employee needs, marketing trends, technology, etc.

When we become aware of making a quick judgement it is helpful to question what we are paying attention to and what thoughts are creating our feelings. Noticing a conflict of interpretations can help in the exploration of dilemmas and what is causing the reactions and conflicts that emerge in your mind. How could you turn an assessment into a question to make you curious about its causes?

You could ask yourself . . .

• When do I make bad choices?
• What happens just before I make the decision?
• What are the consequences?
• How long have I been dealing with these consequences?

Look for a question that cuts through bad judgements and leads you to consider what else you could do or say to avoid the usual consequences. Perhaps you were tempted to lose your temper because of something that was said or not done. How might a different response have produced a more productive result?

Sharing the Power of Inquiry

The interconnected nature of information today requires a more holistic view. It involves adopting multiple perspectives, where being curious and inquiring is something that happens automatically in any situation where the future is uncertain or ambiguous. We can experience conflict within our logical mind, especially when feelings intervene. It can be difficult to identify the thought that is generating a particular feeling. For example, when someone annoys us, what observable behaviour is our judgement actually based on?

All living systems have conflict and tension built into their structure. The response is “structurally determined” by our brain to be defensive and protect our identity. It is needed to generate energy to engage in complex, ambiguous and unpredictable environments. We are always operating at the “edge of chaos” where we are unaware of what thoughts could emerge next or what situation we could be walking into.

The ability to respond effectively “in-the-moment” depends on your ability to inquire into what is actually happening and make sense of it so you can decide the next best step. This action changes the dynamics in the situation because you are engaging in “continuous inquiry” to reveal new patterns of thinking and behaviour. Without inquiry, we remain locked into old ways of thinking that can lead to mistakes and loss of control.

For example, if you are on a diet, you may see chocolate and feel guilty just thinking about eating it. Where is your desire for wellbeing? It speaks to you as your conscience as you experience an internal battle that demands a choice. You have created conflict with an either/or way of thinking. By adopting an inquiring approach you could see health benefits of dark chocolate, if eaten in small amounts, could be compensated by increasing your exercise regime. This both/and thinking satisfies both desires. It requires you to combine both sides and explore in a dialogue with yourself, or someone you trust to help you find a solution to your dilemma. You are noticing where the tension is and learning how to use the conflict to explore new possibilities for action.

Developing the Power of Self-Reflection

When we find ourselves withdrawing like a “Hedgehog Thinker” we become defensive. We close down, stop listening and seek to protect ourselves from being hurt. The “Octopus Thinker” adopts a different strategy. They ask questions about their environment to explore the options available to assess the risks they can take to get what they want. This approach opens up new options for reflecting on what was learned from the resulting consequences of previous experiences.

We all hold assumptions about ourselves, other people and the world we live in. We judge them as acceptable or unacceptable. We can so easily get locked into old habits that stop us extending our capacities to make more effective use of our unique talents and experiences.

Our capacity for self-reflection enables us to use our awareness of potential harm to take a moment and explore an alternative strategy with less damaging consequences. It involves:
Stepping back
Taking time to reflect on what is actually happening
Consider the Options and consequences of a particular response
Press on with your preferred choice of action

Adopting this strategy you are more likely to avoid a habitual response to an embedded trigger from past experience. Time for reflection creates the space for different choices to be made and actions that will deliver a more productive outcome.

Take some time to step back and think about an issue in your life that is proving to be difficult to change. It might be physical or spiritual, intellectual or social. Perhaps life has lost its balance or you are not coping with an uncompromising boss. These assessments can leave you stuck if you look outside yourself for answers.

Discovering the Power of Curiosity

Research by the Harvard Business School shows that exercising curiosity can lead to fewer conflicts and the exploration of assumptions. Conventional leaders believe that fostering curiosity is inefficient and unproductive as it takes minds “off message”. In an unpredictable and complex environment, we enter a world where we have to embrace uncertainty and be curious about alternative ways of doing things. It is needed to provide new insights and possibilities for questioning how best to respond to rapid shifts in customer behaviour, employee needs, marketing trends, technology, etc.

When we become aware of making a quick judgement it is helpful to question what we are paying attention and what thoughts are creating our feelings. Noticing a conflict of interpretations can help in the exploration of dilemmas and what is causing the reactions and conflicts emerging in your mind. How could you turn your assessment into a question to make you curious about its causes?

You could ask yourself . . .

• When do I make bad choices?
• What happens just before I make the decision?
• What are the consequences?
• How long have I been dealing with these consequences?

Look for a question that cuts through bad judgements and leads you to consider what else you could do or say to avoid the usual consequences. Perhaps you were tempted to lose your temper because of something that was said or not done. How might a different response have produced a more productive result?

Using the Power of Inquiry

Glenda Eoyang has developed a simple model that can be applied to complex questions or intractable issues called Adaptive Action.