Question: But why, GrandDan, why?
When my grandson (who just had his fourth birthday) looks at me and asks me "why" about anything we are talking about, I feel I should do my best to give him an answer. Sometimes it's an easy answer that satisfies him, but there are other times when I might need more explanation for him to grasp what I’m explaining.One of the toughest things, though, is when he doesn't understand my explanation and wants me to drill down deeper, as he asks additional "whys". I don’t mind doing it, because I know he is developing an understanding of what’s going on and how things work.This is also a great process for you and me to use in our organizations or in examining our own life. Why? Because sometimes we do things that are no longer necessary or relevant-- or maybe we are doing things that have no value presently or for the future.Try this process. Ask someone to tell you about a project they are doing and continue to ask the "why" question as deeply as you can. Here's an example:“I am going to start an onboarding process for new employees.”Why?So our new employees can become effective members of our team.Why?Because we want them to quickly acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and behaviors to become effective organizational members and insiders.Why?Because it costs an organization a lot to lose employees and re-hire over and over again.Why?Because if they don’t feel a part of the team or knowledgeable and productive, either they will leave or we will have to ask them to leave. Turnover costs money and onboarding slows turnover.I can't wait to tell my grandson I wrote a column about him...except you know what he's going to say… "Why?"
