The Value Behind Asking Questions

When you start a new job, the last thing you want to happen is to be put on the spot the very first day; however, that is exactly what happened to me.

On my first day at CITY, I was given the daily task of asking two questions at the end of each workday. The questions I ask are meant to be helpful for my new position as the Marketing Coordinator/Editor as they will assist me in learning more about CITY overall. These “discovery questions” are meant to be part of my job for a few months.

My initial thoughts were, “Oh, great… How am I going to do this? How do I make sure I ask questions that are meaningful and that do not sound inexperienced? How do I make sure I actually benefit from asking these questions?”

I slightly panicked because even though I knew these questions were going to be valuable for me in the long run, I was also nervous that I would not be able to come up with anything that was worth asking. But as each day has gone by, it has been much easier than I originally thought to combine a mixture of simple questions that have clear-cut answers and ones that require “big-picture” answers.

So far, the questions I have asked have supported my position here at CITY by giving me a sense of how CITY operates. Everyone has a role to fill that makes the company as successful as it is.

From sales to service, to marketing and human resources, to maintenance and production – we are all here to help CITY progress and grow and to help clients receive the best service. And asking questions is the key to this growth and success.

My role at CITY is to manage our social media accounts, assist with marketing content editing and writing, publish a monthly in-house newsletter, post a weekly blog on our website, and help with additional marketing efforts.

The questions I ask help me to be more prepared in my tasks because I can use the information I gain for content and sources of inspiration. Not only have the questions helped me with my job, but they have also helped me in becoming more observant, confident and assertive.

Because I am required to ask these questions, I have to always be attentive and alert so that I actually have something to ask at the end of each day. I have to pay specific attention to what is happening around me instead of just going through the motions of each task.

As I become more comfortable here, it also becomes easier to come forward and ask the questions that run through my mind. These questions have encouraged me to reach out with curiosities, questions, and concerns. I am mostly an introverted person that does not reach out to people on my own. But with this task being a part of my job for the first few months, I cannot avoid it by hiding behind my own insecurities.

After having using this question-answer philosophy, I would highly recommend for others to do something similar that forces them out of their comfort zone. In order for someone to learn something new, asking questions that will elicit helpful answers is the key to being successful in any new venture.

I propose that anyone looking to journey into unknown territory first start by reaching out to those that have the answers – whether it is a co-worker or manager at a new job, or even a person skilled at the trade/craft in which you are interested. These people will fill your arsenal with first-hand, credible knowledge that you could never gain by simply diving in.

Fortunately, by asking questions, I have learned a lot. But more importantly, I have discovered that I have remembered almost everything I have learned. Asking questions that require conceptual answers has helped me immensely.

I try hard to ask questions that require more than a simple “yes or “no” or questions that simply require a factual answer. To be the most beneficial for me, I believe putting effort into asking a question will provoke insightful and helpful answers that will make the task stimulating, valuable, and even enjoyable.

Although my required task of asking questions will eventually come to an end, I will continue to ask questions. I believe there will always be something new to learn about CITY, its employees, and its objectives for the future. CITY has some incredibly driven people here who want to progress its legacy into an even brighter future.

I have a lot to gain from working here. My first two weeks here at CITY have been a learning experience that I plan to grow and improve from, both personally and professionally.

Article by Nicole Kessell, Marketing Coordinator/Editor