My son: “Do you have a screwdriver I can borrow?”
Me: “Yes, but what do you intend to do with it?”
My son: “Well, I’d like to tilt the umbrella holder on my golf cart”
Me: “Okay, I see. You won’t need a screwdriver because it can’t be tilted”
How often do you get direct asks for solutions with zero context attached to them? I find it to be quite common both within and outside of business context. It might seem very efficient to ask very specifically for what is deemed necessary here & now. No time wasted for anything else than a clear ask.
In cases where the task is simple and straightforward, maybe that’s true.
But, what if the job you want to get done, or the customer problem can be solved in better ways than you are aware of? What if someone else near you knows something you don’t? What about complex situations where there is no one clear and simple solution?
The only way to discover this is to share context such as what you, or a customer, tries to achieve, and your reasoning leading to a solution. Only then will it be possible for someone to offer another way to solve the need.
In the short dialogue with my son it turned out that I already knew something about limitations to what he wanted to do. Had I only given him what he asked for, then he probably would have discovered that the screwdriver did not do the trick but it would have taken more time and he might have damaged the umbrella holder trying to tilt it.
It often feels unnecessary and wasteful to share additional context, but when several people collaborate to solve something it is essential. Essential because only then is the collective experience & knowledge fully utilized. Only then is innovation possible. Not sharing context is wasteful. Going slower in the beginning is faster than rushing from start. Share more context!
