Rushing to failure 

We are very good at doing the wrong thing well. Failure rates for new enterprises are high, and one reason I see, time and time again, is not spending enough time with the question.

In order to engage, inform, and persuade, we have to understand who we are talking to and why that person should be interested. This takes time. So often the reason we pose questions is to get answers. Well, it seems an obvious statement. But responding to a question and answering a question are two different propositions.

Stay in the question

By “staying in the question” and not rushing to action we can see other alternatives. In school we are taught to come to the right answer fast. This makes sense if you are learning mathematics or in a situation where there is only one right answer. But this is not the case with a creative approach.

Writing is creation. It’s often creating something out of nothing. We need imagination to understand and work with the creative process. We need to take the time and slow down.

Wanting to rush to action is common

This is what I mean by doing the wrong thing well. Our training is often just mechanical. If there is a defined goal, then we know a lot about getting there.

But the sort of creativity business needs is not like this. Writing well is more than a mechanical action. The problem is, thinking can’t be measured—and that is a problem for some. Some clients get it, and some don’t.

Staying in the question saves time and money. Ideas need a period of gestation, or incubation. Of course, we need action, but missing out the period of “thinking about it,” results in rushing to failure.