Questions: A powerful tool for learning

A message from our CEO:

I just learned that the Polariod camera was invented in response to a spark from a 3-year-old asking, “Why can’t I see the photo right now?” I love this, so many great ideas are sparked by good questions.

We are all trying to come up with solutions to the ever-changing challenges we are faced with, no matter what sector or industry we are in, and no matter how big or small the challenges might be. When faced with these challenges, our tendency is to try to come up with a list of great ideas that will then lead us to a solution, but we need to take a step back. Before we can get to a solution, we need to start by asking the right questions.

Just mere weeks ago, we launched a course, Emerging with Clarity. The first module in our course focused on just that - how to develop a learning question. It’s been exciting to see what participants are bringing to the table, learning and what they are asking about. For example, “How might we support the needs of at-risk, low-income youth in rural communities during the post-COVID timeline” (clear, focused and actionable once we have the data) to “Are our staff appropriately credentialed, trained and supervised to deliver the best level of service, across our programs, based on industry best practice standards?” (a good question to address the quality of services and understand what training staff may need to thrive in their role).

Asking a good question is foundational to being able to learn from data. If there is one takeaway you can get from this month’s Lab Notes, it’s to not just focus on the endpoint but to start focusing at the beginning: the question.

Check out some further thoughts we have about asking the right question here and within the resources below.