After 25 years of being a business coach, the most common complaint small to medium business owners have is their lack of time. The average business owner works 70 hours a week, yet still finds themself lacking in real quality time to work on their business. According to the Wells Fargo/Gallup Index, 57 percent of business owners in the U.S. work six days a week, and more than 20 percent of them work seven days a week. Yet, most business owners can’t seem to find the time to make decisions, lay the foundation for growth or development as a leader. Which makes progress really difficult, if not impossible.
Which is why my favorite word why is such a magical one. By asking this simple question, you can quickly cut through the clutter and get to the heart of any task or project. By asking why it allows you to become crystal clear as to what you stand to gain from a project and gives you the ability to say my second favorite word: no. Asking why allows you to eliminate things that don’t help you reach your business and personal objectives.
When was the last time you asked why? Chances are it’s been far too long and you are overdue. I want to challenge you to stretch your thinking and build up your vocabulary. Tomorrow ask why 5 times…the next day 10…and so on and so forth. The best CEO’s find themselves asking why thirty plus times every single day.