Every decision is an answer to a question
Learn how to use the transformative magic of this principle to not only improve your decision making, but also your decision selection.
Once upon a time, I was working away at something in my home office, focused on getting through some in-between-meetings admin. Suddenly, I heard the classic MS Teams ringtone.
Twun TnN Phwooptn twun tn. Twun TnN phwooptn twun tn.
I was being invited into a group meeting spontaneously, where I was met with four other people, all incredibly senior and highly intelligent professionals, who had a great deal of knowledge about the subject matter they were discussing. It wasn't just a discussion, though. The person playing the role of primary client in this discussion had asked me to join to help support the delivery lead of a project in progressing something that was a little stuck. They didn't say this explicitly, of course. They were rather vague about why I had been called in, presumably for diplomacy's sake.
After 10 minutes of listening, it became apparent what I was doing there, even if none of the others on the call knew exactly why I was brought in or even what exactly they wanted my help with. They just had a feeling they needed some help I could provide.
You see, the discussion was going around in speculative circles. As I struggled to keep my brain awake to what was being pontificated, I realised that while the four people in this meeting knew exactly what they were talking about, nobody had a strong grasp of what anybody else was talking about!
It was a dumb group made up entirely of super smart individuals.
This is a generic example, but I've been called into a lot of meetings like this over the past 15 years, and without expressing it overtly, usually, the group is requesting me to help them untangle themselves from each other like a magician trying to separate a cluster of over-enthusiastic, arm-waving wizards whose wands got hopelessly intertwined in a fervent spell-casting competition.
Whilst it's not always easy, I do have a magic spell of my own that helps a lot.
"Hey, do you mind if I ask a clarifying question?"
The group's noisy, intellectual-sounding rumblings quiet down for a moment with a look of anticipation, so I continue.
"What's the primary question you're trying to answer here?"
What was the entanglement about?
The crux of the entanglement was, as it usually is, the lack of shared understanding. Despite the abundant knowledge and brain power among the group members, the discussion was unproductive because the core issue—the 'primary question'—was lost in a whirlpool of suggestions and opinions.
The group was navigating a storm of answers without having a compass of the question they were attempting to answer. The principle 'every decision is an answer to a question' shines a light on the importance of unearthing this compass to steer the discussion in a productive direction.
Mind you, at this point it's quite reasonable for someone in the group to ask...
What's a 'primary question'?
A 'primary question' is the bedrock upon which any decision-making scenario rests. It's the question that, when answered, resolves the core challenge at hand. The principle 'every decision is an answer to a question' emphasises the significance of identifying this primary question before delving into potential solutions.
It's about ensuring the ladder we are climbing is leaning against the right wall before we start ascending. And you can do that if you have clarity on the why instead of jumping ahead and hyper-focusing on the how.
The exact wording I recommend is this:
What's the primary question that making this decision would answer?
I'll give you a specific example to illustrate this.
Specific example
Within a competitive market, a company, let's call them Wizards World, was facing a challenge with their dwindling market share. They believed that a massive marketing campaign was the magic elixir to reclaim their position in the market.
The senior executive team is debating how precisely to invest a significant portion of their budget (and how much) in a grandiose marketing campaign, envisioning it as the catalyst that would propel them back to the forefront of the market.
Me: "Hey folks, this may seem like an obvious and dumb question but let me ask it anyway. What's the primary question that making this decision would answer?"
Client: "Well Dev, I guess to state the obvious, we're trying to figure out 'How much should we spend on a massive marketing campaign to regain our market share?'"
Me: "Okay, and if you can figure out how much you should spend, what underlying question would that help answer?"
Client: “Hmm. That makes me wonder... are we even ready for a massive marketing campaign? I mean, perhaps the underlying question is: what’s causing our market share to decline in the first place?”
Me: “That’s an excellent perspective. Could you unpack that into more specific questions to delve deeper into the core issues?”
Client: “Okay sure. Firstly, are our --
At this point, I'm likely to politely interrupt the client and open up a mind-mapping tool (that's my personal preference) and share my screen to make sure we can all see a breakdown structure of the questions as they emerge. Often I would have already started one in the background but will wait until this point to share my screen so I can let the conversation flow more organically from the client first.
Me: “Okay thanks, please continue.”
Client: "Firstly, are our products still relevant to the consumers’ needs? Secondly, how do our prices compare with competitors? Thirdly, is our customer service meeting expectations? Fourthly, how effective are our current marketing strategies? And lastly, are there any new market entrants that are taking away our customers?”
Me: “Great! You’ve now outlined a set of fundamental questions that can help identify the root causes affecting your market share.”
Client: “So, instead of jumping straight into how much to spend on a marketing campaign, we should first answer these underlying questions to understand the core of our market share issue.”
Me: “Exactly. By addressing these questions, you’ll be in a better position to determine the most effective way to allocate your budget, whether that’s in marketing or other areas that could improve your market share.”
Client: “This approach makes a lot of sense. It could save us from spending heavily on a marketing campaign without addressing the actual problems. We'll delve into these questions and ensure our strategies align with the core issues at hand. Thanks for helping us see this, Dev! You're so smart and good looking.”
Me: “You’re welcome! It’s all about getting to the heart of the matter before deciding on the solutions. I’m here to help navigate through these considerations, ensuring your actions align with the actual challenges you’re facing in the market.”
What if I hadn’t stepped in?
Without applying this principle of "every decision is an answer to a question" early on in the way I did, Wizards World might have hastily launched a massive marketing campaign, aiming to address their shrinking market share.
You might be thinking, surely they would have done some research along the lines of a feasibility assessment or a SWOT analysis before taking such a big decision - and you’re right. But if I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen a consultancy feed an executive team’s confirmation biases to help them spend millions of dollars (and of course the consultancy pockets a chunk of that), I’d have at least 25 bucks!
Even if there were some ethics sprinkled in throughout the process, starting on the path of analysing a solution, rather than taking a step back to better understand the context of the problem, could end up offering only surface-level insights, missing the deeper examination a layered questioning approach could provide.
This makes the journey towards regaining market share for Wizards World (or solving the actual problem in a meaningful way) longer and filled with potential missteps.
Making it personal
So, you might be thinking, "Alright, Dev, this all sounds well and good for a business setting, but what about me? How does this principle apply to my everyday life?" Well, I'm glad you asked because the principle of "every decision is an answer to a question" is not just a corporate magic trick; it's a life hack that can be applied to just about any situation you find yourself in.
Let's say you're contemplating a big life change—maybe you're considering moving to a new city, switching careers, or even starting a family. These are monumental decisions that can feel overwhelming, and it's easy to get lost in the sea of pros and cons, what-ifs, and potential outcomes. But before you dive headfirst into the deep end of decision-making, take a step back and ask, "What's the primary question I'm trying to answer here?"
For instance, if you're thinking of moving to a new city, the primary question might be, "Will relocating offer me the lifestyle and opportunities I'm seeking?" Or if you're pondering a career change, the question could be, "Will this new career path bring me closer to my long-term goals and personal fulfilment?" By identifying the primary question, you can then break it down into smaller, more manageable questions, just like we did with Wizards World.
"Is the job market in the new city favourable for my line of work?"
"Does the new career offer a work-life balance?"
"Am I financially prepared to start a family?"
These sub-questions can guide your research and thought process, helping you arrive at a well-informed decision that aligns with your core objectives.
And hey, this principle isn't just for the big, life-altering decisions. It works for the smaller stuff too. Struggling to decide what to have for dinner? Ask yourself, "What's the primary question?" It could be as simple as, "Do I want a meal that's quick to prepare, or am I in the mood for something more elaborate?" Even in this trivial example, identifying the primary question can help guide your decision, saving you from the agony of indecision that can sometimes make even choosing a meal feel like a monumental task.
So, the next time you find yourself in a quandary, big or small, remember to dig for the primary question. It's like having a compass in a storm, guiding you through the fog of options and opinions to a decision that truly answers your needs.
Other tools
You may be considering, particularly in a work context, that you’re already doing “this kind of thing” with tools like the fishbone analysis or the 5 whys. It’s not the same thing. Let me explain.
The principle "every decision is an answer to a question" is really a philosophical approach that prompts deeper inquiry into problems through dialogue, while Fishbone Analysis is a structured tool for identifying and visually organising potential causes of a specific issue. They complement each other by blending deep inquiry with structured analysis, but if you dive headfirst into something like a fishbone analysis without embracing this principle, you can end up with certain bones of the fish becoming rabbit holes of presumption. I’ve seen this first-hand quite a few times.
The "5 Whys" technique is a specific method where you ask "Why?" five times in succession to drill down into the root cause of a problem. Again, it definitely shares a spirit of curiosity and enquiry with the principle I’m sharing with you here, but I’ve seen people get entangled in a bit of a mess using the 5 whys too. What can happen is that your fifth ‘why’ goes off on a tangent that isn’t actually a deeper iteration of the first why, but just another random consideration. I’ve also seen facilitators, coaches, interviewers, etc., filling in their own interpretations in between the whys that can lead to biased tangents also.
There are other techniques that can be misused also, and basically, it happens when the person using them ends up - often unwittingly - “leading the witness”. By remembering that ‘every decision is an answer to a question’ and your helpfulness is in trying to uncover the most fundamental question that is trying to be answered by pursuing a particular decision, you’ll be a lot more helpful.
In fact, the decision to use any of these tools is also an answer to a question:
How do I uncover the most foundational considerations that will help me make a more informed decision about what to do next?
Just one more thing
At its core, decision-making is a cognitive process that involves evaluating options and choosing a course of action. Sounds simple, right? But here's where it gets tricky.
Our brains are wired to take shortcuts, known as heuristics, to make the decision-making process more efficient. While these shortcuts can be helpful, they can also lead to cognitive biases that cloud our judgement. For example, the "confirmation bias" can make us favour information that confirms our existing beliefs, while ignoring data that contradicts them.
This is where the primary question comes into play. By forcing ourselves to identify and focus on this question, we can counteract some of these biases and heuristics. The primary question acts as a cognitive anchor, helping us navigate through these psychological complexities. It shifts our mindset from a passive to an active state, making us more receptive to different perspectives and solutions. In essence, it's a tool that helps us counteract our brain's natural tendencies to veer off course, ensuring that our decisions are aligned with our core objectives.
Whether you're a facilitator at work trying to steer a team of experts, someone contemplating a significant life change, or even just someone deciding what's for dinner, this principle is universally applicable. It's not just a decision-making tool; it's a life tool. It can help you untangle complex problems, persuade others, and even understand yourself a bit better.
So, the next time you find yourself trying to untangle a group of energetic wizards, or simply untangle yourself from your own mental noise when considering a particular decision, remember to ask: "What's the primary question that making this decision would answer?". It's the first step in ensuring that the decisions you make are not just answers, but the right answers to the right questions.
Let me know in the comments if you have tried applying this principle or if you intend to and what kind of experience you’ve had or expect to have.
Loved this post! Sometimes, finding the right question is even more fulfilling than the answer for it.