Inavero Blog

An Orwellian Lesson on the Power of a Question

In the book 1984, George Orwell illustrates for us the impact of a society that is no longer able to question the world they live in. It is groupthink at its worst. A world that is vacant of critical thinking and learning beyond the basic skills needed for survival. Any individual that attempts to question big brother is quickly corrected or disposed of.

Many companies, and the individuals in them, suffer from a self-imposed version of Orwell’s world. The person that starts asking the tough questions is quelled by management or ultimately leaves the organization in defeat. Companies stop questioning the ways they have always done business, and ultimately create a fabricated and inflated view of themselves.

These companies are now in a state of atrophy and can’t understand why they are not growing, not attracting top talent, and are generally directionless. The solution begins with the asking of simple questions. Here are a few that come to mind:

• Who are our clients and when was the last time we talked to one face-to-face?
• Do our clients promote us to others? If not, why not?
• What is our current business strategy?
• Do our employees know the strategy and where they fit into it?
• Why are we in business and what is our company’s vision?

Toyota terms this culture of questioning the ‘Toyota Way’, or continuous improvement. American automakers have spent the last 20+ years trying to imitate the success of Toyota, but they have continually failed. They are still not ready to cultivate a corporate culture that encourages questioning at all levels of the business. Successful businesses, like Toyota, are able to pull this off.

They say you learn everything you ever need to know in kindergarten. Today I attended an orientation event at my daughter’s elementary school. The principal gave us parents some sage advice on what we should be doing to prepare our kids for kindergarten:

1. Read to them
2. Read to them
3. Read to them
4. Keep an open dialogue with them, and ask lots of questions.

This advice applies beautifully and simply to those of us in the business world. The written word, in all its forms from Orwell to Deming, is a powerful tool for shaping your company and your own personal worldview. It will spark you to question and never stop, which builds stronger, focused, and more passionate businesses.