The essence of brainstorming is to facilitate free flowing ideas with no barriers to innovative thinking. Behind closed doors, everybody has a voice, nobody is allowed to criticize anyone else, and there is no evaluation of the conversation while the session is alive. There are no stupid questions or dumb ideas because inside that room there is supposed to be an air of freedom to say anything at anytime. Adjourn the meeting, open the door, and all bets are off as soon as everyone leaves the room. This concept takes on an entirely new meaning if a useful tool is extended into another shallow motivational cliché when taken out of context. Is there really no such thing as a stupid question? Well, THAT is a stupid question! Not only has this saying been worn out by oversimplification it has become the butt of several joke “demotivational†placards with clever sayings like “There are no stupid questions, just stupid people.†Scott Adams, the creator of the Dilbert comic strip is quoted, “If there are no stupid questions, then what kind of questions do stupid people ask? Do they get smart just in time to ask questions?â€
Thoughtful Questions Are Not Stupid – Conversely, questions asked out of laziness are most definitely stupid. It is commanding that others do the thinking for you by providing the easy way out. Education and the maturation process are supposed to hone our intellect so that we can process information and form ideas until we run into an unknown factor. Then natural curiosity takes over and we explore alternatives to learn what we do not know. Asking questions in that context is usually to someone who is expected to know the right answer and be willing to help. Asking the wrong person or to someone only professing to have the right answers is not smart. Follow almost any Twitter chat to see examples of know-it-all answerers, but engage all crap filters before entering.
Many People Ask the Wrong Questions – Knowing the right questions to ask is not magic but insight. It is definitely stupid not to think before asking. Finding out the how and why of arriving at a satisfactory conclusion requires an understanding of the ultimate destination and the measures of success. Fine tuning the questions narrows down the possible answers until the right one is obvious. Management should instill confidence in employees that their questions will be taken seriously so that they will have the courage to ask about things they do not know. Knowing that they need additional information is not stupid but a sign of intelligence and thirst for knowledge. This is excellent feedback on the need for instruction and training.
Ask the Stupid Questions Anyway! – Just because you don’t know the answer and it may sound stupid to you doesn’t mean that you are alone. Other people may be swimming through the same fog. Have you ever been in a meeting where acronyms and catch phrases are tossed around like paper? Look around the table… yes actually make eye contact. Chances are that the phrase tosser is showing off her inside knowledge and the rest of the participants are oblivious… by design. Throw them a bone. Ask what it means. If it’s important to know, remember it. If not, then at least recognize that you aren’t the stupid one.
Belief that there is no such thing as a stupid question is naïve. The ability to discern the stupidity of a question is brilliant. It may take a bit of practice and an ounce of courage, but asking genuinely stupid questions may be the smartest thing to do in some situations if it shows a willingness to learn and a lack of ulterior motives. The genuine stupid question that should probably not be asked would be one that has already been answered. Pay attention and think!
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