There are four very powerful questions that you can make use of to help transform your personal life, family, work team, organization, or any enterprise with which you are associated. These questions work by dint of three powerful forces:
1) They engage the attention of those to whom you ask the questions
2) The provide a powerful set of 4 lenses or perspectives by which to view yourself, others, the work, the situation or the enterprise
3) They generate or liberate motivational energy by which you and those around you can move in a meaningful way to get things done
In this blog I want to give you the first Power Question. It is the first question I recommend asking. In my experience now with thousands of people and hundreds of teams and organizations, it is the one question that gets asked least often and is most often ignored and simply not asked. It is one of the most powerful questions you can ever ask for liberating motivational energy, building positive momentum and building or re-building a platform of trust. The power question is:
“What Is RIGHT about this situation or person or relationship or team or organization or society – what is here to CELEBRATE?” When you ask this question you are focusing attention on what is working well, what is good and right and it helps to shift from the continual problem-solving mentality that pervades so much of our attention, crowding out celebrating the good and what is effective. When we don’t ask this question, when we simply focus on what needs to be fixed or addressed, we lose motivational energy and ultimately depress engagement levels from those around us, whether at home, at work or in our communities.
Look, there is in nearly every situation and relationship and environment more good going on than we ever give credit to or to which we pay attention. By asking, “What is right here – what is there to celebrate?” we liberate energy, make sure all around us are seeing and claiming what is right and good and that is THE solid foundation upon which to build as we move forward. It is the best place to be to address the challenges, problems and opportunities we face whether personally or professionally. It builds a sense of esprit de corps and heightens the sense of trust.
Starting today, in all aspects of your life, practice asking this question first, “What is right – what is here to celebrate?” If you do, you will begin to experience a transformative process occurring in all you touch.
Read about the other three Power Questions in the following blogs:
Power Question’s to Transform – Number Two
Power Questions to Transform – Question 3
Transformative Question #4 – If You Have the Courage to Ask
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