Don't be afraid to ask question

 Throughout our educational years in elementary, high school, and college, we all probably remember our teachers regularly reminding us to ask questions if we didn’t understand something. Unfortunately, in my early years, I didn’t always take the teacher's advice and ask questions for fear of sounding dumb. After all, it’s just easier to sit quietly than ask what might seem like a silly question, right? Getting anything less than an ‘A’ in school, ten times wasn’t acceptable to both my parents and me. They can attest to the fact that math was never my favorite subject, I preferred science, marketing, English, and basically anything but math. However, after being constantly confused in math class, and on a mission for an ‘A’, I knew I had to start asking questions or I’d never understood the dreaded word problem of: 

“In a shop, the cost of 4 shirts, 4 pairs of trousers and 2 hats is $560. The cost of 9 shirts, 9 pairs of trousers and 6 hats is $1,290. What is the total cost of 1 shirt, 1 pair of trousers and 1 hat?”

 Thankfully, I learned that asking questions was a lot more helpful in my learning, than hindering. The same can be true at work when we don’t understand projects we’re assigned, loans we’ve been given to work on, or basically what is going on at our company. Questions are the simple and most effective way of learning. So why do we quit asking questions or better yet, why are we so afraid to ask questions and ask for help? Here are a few reasons why we should never stop asking questions.

 It’s a Gift: First and foremost, we take for granted the fact that we can ask questions. No other animal or mammal devotes as much time and energy to the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. Being able to seek explanations and ask questions that go far beyond our immediate practical life concerns, is amazing. Sometimes, it’s not just being scared that hinders us from asking questions, but rather being lazy. One might assume they know all the main things they need to and then they don’t bother to ask more. This leads to people clinging to their assumptions or beliefs, without finding the complete facts. We have the powerful gift to gain more knowledge, not just in our prime educational years, but after, in the rest of our life. We need to use that gift.

Getting the Right Answers: Newton asked, “Why does an apple fall from a tree but, why does the moon not fall into the Earth?” and Einstein asked, “What would the universe look like if I rode through it on a beam of light?” They seem like silly questions, but actually, these questions have changed our world. Moral of the story: the only bad question is the one that never gets asked. My parents always told me, “You’ll never know, unless you ask” or they would say, “Well, it doesn’t hurt to ask.” Much to my dismay, they pushed me to ask questions, whether that was in school, asking family members to buy something from a fundraiser I was doing, or asking a question in a job interview. My parents, per usual, were right. Asking questions is the sure way to finding the correct answer. Sometimes that answer is hard for us to hear, but at least we asked. Asking your coworker how to do a project, or how to complete a form, is helping clear up confusion, and can ultimately help you be better at your job. Asking questions provides needed answers to help you continually grow in your career.

Recently, visiting with a credit union employee, they brought up concerns they had and lack of knowledge in the marketing department. I said, “Well, I can help you with that!” The employee was happy to hear but also surprised as they had no idea CUAD could offer marketing help or they didn’t think to ask. In fact, we can offer planning session help, board training, credit union employee training, compliance, video services, and more. As my parents say, if you don’t ask, you’ll never know! We encourage all credit union members and staff to call, email, or reach out to us in any way if you are in need of any type of help. We are happy to answer any question you may have, or at least try. If we can’t answer your question, we certainly can try to provide you with resources where you can find the right answer. We hope you know that no question is a “dumb” question, and we’re always here to help in any way we can. 

To Start a Relationship: When dating and getting to know your significant other, you start asking them questions about their family, hobbies, work, etc. The same goes for that person who later becomes your best friend or even a member who walks in the door. You start gathering information to help you decide if they are someone you want to be around, to help you solve a member’s financial problem they come to you about, and to slowly grow your relationship with that person. Asking questions about your members’ family, what they are doing later in the day, how they are feeling, etc., are all ways to help build that rapport, and boost your relationship. When you do these things, you not only make the member feel appreciated, but it helps you to have something to talk about the next time the member walks into your branch.

When networking, asking more unique questions are also ways to build on your relationship with a person and can help spark more conversation. Rather than asking the same old question to your fellow marketer, “What do you do for work?” try asking “What’s your favorite social media platform for your office and why?” Becoming more comfortable asking questions takes time, but it can really build up your relationship.

Thankfully, after asking my math teacher many questions, I learned that if you let x be the price of one shirt, y be the price of one pair of trousers and z be the price of one hat, the total for the earlier math problem is $150—in case any of you were wondering the answer. It’s safe to say, I’m slowly learning to ask questions more and more throughout my career. Questions have obviously helped me learn, but more importantly grow in my skills and become more comfortable in my day-to-day work. The fact is, there should be no shame in asking questions. As an old Chinese proverb goes, “He who asks a question is a fool for a minute; he who does not, remains a fool forever.” Good questions should stimulate, provoke, inform and inspire us. In addition, it can help us learn, enhance creativity, foster critical thinking skills, boost self-confidence, adapt to change, and explore the unknown.