We’ve discovered there are certain questions people ask that are unproductive, maybe even a bit dangerous! We call them “Incorrect Questions” or “IQs.”
IQs tend to begin with the outwardly focused words “Why,” “When,” and “Who”:
“Why is this happening to me?” and “Why don’t I ever get a break?” cause us to fall into the trap of Victim/Entitlement Thinking.
“When will they handle this?” and “When will I get more support?” lead people to Procrastination.
“Who made the mistake?” and “Who dropped the ball?” take a person straight to Blame.
The best way to avoid costly IQs is to ask The Question Behind the Question—or the “QBQ.” Here is our definition of the QBQ:
The QBQ is a tool that enables people to practice PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY by making better choices in the moment.
So, looking at the IQs above, how much better it is to choose to ask QBQs such as these:
Note that all QBQs have a certain structure to them. Each and every QBQ:
That’s what QBQs and IQs are all about. Learn more reading the QBQ! book.