Often, in my pursuit of executing and perfecting tasks, I overlook the importance of asking fundamental questions:
- Why is this activity important?
- How does it add value to the project, task, bottom line, or risk mitigation?
- What may happen if I eliminate it?
- Who truly cares about it?
- Where can I find alternatives?
- When is this activity actually required?
- Whose responsibility is it to deliver and accept it?
By being too engrossed in doing and perfecting what I’ve always done, I risk missing opportunities to ask a few fundamental questions.