11/15/2018
As executive director of the MIT Leadership Center, Gregersen (The Innovator's DNA) has many of the answers leaders and managers are looking for. Here he argues that "the way to find better answers is to ask new questions." Rather than accept conventional ways of thinking and established standards, Gregersen challenges readers to use a method he calls "perspective-changing inquiry" to help them take divergent paths toward change and improvement. The book contains successful examples of Gregersen's theory in practice, cited from companies such as Pixar and Zappos, as well as strategies that can be implemented both in business and everyday life. These include the exercise "question burst," in which he walks readers through a three-step process of brainstorming for questions that often leads to new paths of thinking, and eventually, new answers. In a well-referenced style unlike many self-help books, this work encourages readers to seek discomfort, revel in being wrong, and to be quieter (while listening and creating conditions that allow for questioning and creative thinking). VERDICT Readers of both self-help and business books will enjoy this read as a challenge to their established perspective.—Cori Wilhelm, SUNY Canton Coll. of Tech. Lib.
09/24/2018
In this helpful book, Gregersen (The Innovator’s DNA), executive director of the MIT Leadership Center, posits that true breakthroughs come through questions instead of the simple, workable answers most self-help gurus lay claim to. “Questions have a curious power to unlock new insights and positive behavior change in every part of our lives,” he counsels, not just in the business setting but in personal lives as well. Setting the traditional model of regimented self-help advice on its ear, Gregersen shows that breakthroughs begin with reframed questions. To start the process, he suggests an exercise: readers should choose a challenge they feel deeply about, convene a small group to brainstorm, then discuss ideas and study the results of their thinking. Intended for both groups and individuals, more advanced methods for groups include creating safe spaces where discourse is encouraged and rewarded, and prompts for group thinking. Changing routines to take new, scenic routes in an attempt to see things in new ways, creating well-crafted stories, and listening for the unexpected are Gregersen’s main seeds of advice. Gregersen’s strategies will serve readers looking for innovative ways of rethinking personal fulfillment. (Nov.)
I connected with this book’s message because I lived it. Everythingchanged for the better when I realized that I, like so many others, wasasking the wrong question. Our culture chases conventional notionsof success instead of nurturing what would really make us thrive. HalGregersen is absolutely right—the best way to get to a better answeris to start with a better question, and we can all learn to do that.” — Arianna Huffington
“It’s a great insight that, if you want to arrive at a better answer, you should start with a better question. Hal Gregersen takes that observation further, exploring how to put it into daily practice. I love this book’s emphasis on creating the conditions in which creative thinking will thrive, and I love its bighearted storytelling.” — Tony Hsieh, Zappos.com CEO
In his new book, Hal Gregersen reveals the power of cultivating a beginner’s mind, deep listening and continuous reflection in search of the right questions. Read this remarkable book and you will find a path to meaningful answers — Marc Benioff, Chairman & Co-CEO, Salesforce
Hal Gregersen is one of those rare educators who always practices what he preaches. Deliberately, he pushes himself out of his comfort zones, and consistently, he surfaces those great questions that unlock better answers. I think it’s wonderful that, with Questions Are the Answer, he is equipping so many more people to do the same. — Clayton M. Christensen, Kim B. Clark Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School
“Creating an open environment where every manager can ask questions without fear is the first step in bringing innovation to achieve the betterment of a corporation. The author brings out how asking the right questions is the responsibility of a successful leader. A “must” read for every corporate person aspiring to succeed as a leader.” — Narayana Murthy, founder of Infosys
If you want a simple answer to the question of what matters most to creativity, then look no further than the title of this book. Mastering the art of questioning is not easy, but Hal Gregersen describes a wealth of valuable approaches that will serve you well — no matter what kinds of problems you are trying to solve. — Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO and author of Design for Change
As machines become exceedingly proficient at providing answers, it becomes more and more important for people to be asking the right questions. Hal Gregersen is exactly right that this is a skill we can learn — and must teach. — Joi Ito, Director of the MIT Media Lab and author of Whiplash
Readers of both self-help and business books will enjoy this read as a challenge to their established perspective. — Library Journal
In his new book, Hal Gregersen reveals the power of cultivating a beginner’s mind, deep listening and continuous reflection in search of the right questions. Read this remarkable book and you will find a path to meaningful answers
As machines become exceedingly proficient at providing answers, it becomes more and more important for people to be asking the right questions. Hal Gregersen is exactly right that this is a skill we can learn — and must teach.
I connected with this book’s message because I lived it. Everythingchanged for the better when I realized that I, like so many others, wasasking the wrong question. Our culture chases conventional notionsof success instead of nurturing what would really make us thrive. HalGregersen is absolutely right—the best way to get to a better answeris to start with a better question, and we can all learn to do that.
If you want a simple answer to the question of what matters most to creativity, then look no further than the title of this book. Mastering the art of questioning is not easy, but Hal Gregersen describes a wealth of valuable approaches that will serve you well — no matter what kinds of problems you are trying to solve.
It’s a great insight that, if you want to arrive at a better answer, you should start with a better question. Hal Gregersen takes that observation further, exploring how to put it into daily practice. I love this book’s emphasis on creating the conditions in which creative thinking will thrive, and I love its bighearted storytelling.
Hal Gregersen is one of those rare educators who always practices what he preaches. Deliberately, he pushes himself out of his comfort zones, and consistently, he surfaces those great questions that unlock better answers. I think it’s wonderful that, with Questions Are the Answer, he is equipping so many more people to do the same.
Creating an open environment where every manager can ask questions without fear is the first step in bringing innovation to achieve the betterment of a corporation. The author brings out how asking the right questions is the responsibility of a successful leader. A “must” read for every corporate person aspiring to succeed as a leader.”
I see it over and over again. People with huge potential to maketheir mark in the world, and make the world better, don’t make enough progress because they aren’t starting with the right questions—mainly of themselves. Questions Are the Answer is a great read, but more important, I think for anyone trying to solve big problems, it will make a huge difference.
Creating an open environment where every manager can ask questions without fear is the first step in bringing innovation to achieve the betterment of a corporation. The author brings out how asking the right questions is the responsibility of a successful leader. A “must” read for every corporate person aspiring to succeed as a leader.”
