The most constructive question you can ask
/It's easy to complain when you're living a bad experience. But so much more constructive to ask one great question. I'm on the road again this week, or rather up in the air. Travel can be a labourious process—air travel is probably everyone's favourite gripe. But like any other process, it can be improved, preferably revolutionized.
Why, for instance, do we have to arrive 90 minutes before scheduled take off? For almost any other form of transport, we just show up and go.
I like to pass the time by imagining a better way. Keeps me quiet, at least. It all starts with one simple question:
How Might We?
P&G created How Might We in the 70s, and Google Ventures has adopted the question in their Design Sprint process.
I recently suggested how a simple courtesy could have saved me hundreds of dollars. That's an easy how we might.
Here are some questions that I asked myself this week:
How might we get baggage from home to hotel without me lugging it?
How might we be able to show up five minutes before boarding and catch the flight? Whether or not the flight has been delayed.
How might we all board in 5 minutes? ( Easier if no-one's lugging baggage).
How can we do all off the without increasing ticket costs?
And so on.
Next time you're suffering through a bad process ...
Sit down, count to 10, and write down 3 "How Might We"s. I guarantee you'll feel better.
And it's great practice before you start to ask the questions about your own business.
... and if you missed these related articles, go back and take another look:
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