Articles

Ask the Hard Questions, Offer Real Feedback

Jana M. Kemp

When was the last time you asked a hard question about the viability of a project or task?
What or who kept you from asking the question? And what were the consequences of not asking the question?

People who ask hard questions are often those who see things differently. The asking of hard questions can help a group avoid making poor and uninformed decisions or even avoid creating unintentional disasters. Question asking is a form of offering feedback because the question-asker sees something that is missing from the discussion and is asking to learn more.

Several years ago I sat on a public improvement planning committee meeting. I found myself deferring to the members of the team whom I respected as the experts on the project. Mid-way through the meeting cycle, I realized that the hard questions on my mind weren’t being asked by anyone else. And if the hard and detailed questions on my mind weren’t asked, the community might not experience the construction of the best possible solution for the two-mile stretch of homes and neighborhoods that would be affected by the project under discussion.

So, I worked up my courage, overcame my concerns about sounding unknowledgeable and asked a series of questions that hadn’t yet been asked. The results were multiple-fold. To my surprise, the feedback I was offering in the form of the questions I asked was taken seriously by the team. The questions asked changed the course of gathering input and led to a 180 degree change in method for the final construction of the project.

The point is this. Questions can be asked in ways that inform, enlighten, enlarge, direct, and redirect the course of a project or the making of decisions. Consider that question-asking is a form of offering feedback and a form of saying “I need more information in order to make a decision about how to proceed.” Without adequate responses to and discussion of questions, poor and often inadequate decisions are made.

As we move into another campaign and election cycle, I’m reminded again of the importance of asking hard questions of candidates running for elected city positions across the valley.

During the month of September, community improvement and development projects in both Caldwell and Nampa are inviting real feedback and input. Community meetings and event days are scheduled for questions to be asked, and for information and ideas to be shared. And, we are hearing reports about the desired building of a second convention center facility in Boise. Get involved. Offer your ideas.

ACTION ITEMS: Start asking the questions that need to be asked. Start offering real, considerate and concrete feedback.
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Reprint Permission: The author is willing to grant reprint permissions. Please contact Jana Kemp: jana@janakemp.com or call 208-367-1701.