Ask a Different Question

Ask a different question. 

If you are stuck coming up with a solution to a problem it might be time to ask a different question. 

In the article How to Think Like Leonardo by Keith Harry and Eileen Donahue Robinson, they give the example of trying to arrange a certain number of desks into a small office area. As they struggled to make it work they realized that they were asking the wrong question. 

It wasn’t how many desks can we fit in a room they needed,  but rather how many people can we provide a workspace for?   In looking at the situation differently they realized that a traditional desk for each person was not really necessary.

It’s easy to get caught in a loop of doing the same thing in the same way, and not considering other alternatives that might work better. That’s why it’s important to ask the right question.

I am not naturally adept at looking at things in an unconventional way, although I worked with many teachers over the years that were. The day I saw a teacher twisting bulletin board paper into rainforest vines my eyes were opened. Who knew it could be used for anything other than a way to cover a cork bulletin board?

Learning to ask questions differently and not just relying on convention may be a challenge at first, but it might be worth it when the end results help to solve your problem.