QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life

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A tool that enables individuals to practice personal accountability by making better choices in the moment. We attend too many seminars. We take too many classes. We buy too many books. We play too many audios in our cars. It's all wasted if we're unclear on what learning really is: Learning is not attending, listening or reading. Nor is it merely gaining knowledge. Learning is really about translating knowing what to do into doing what we know. It's about changing. Instead, whether he used the words or not, his actions clearly indicated accountable thinking such as What can I do to help out? and How can I provide more value? His choices made the difference. Finally, it came time to announce the Top Agent of the Year award, honoring the individual who not only produced outstanding revenue but also demonstrated exceptional leadership. The CEO paused for effect. The tension was high. When she finally announced the name, we all stood and cheered for-you guessed it-David! When we ask better questions, we get better answers. The QBQ guidelines show us how to build better questions and which questions to avoid. Also, it's important to remember that these are questions we ask of ourselves, not of others. The QBQ is primar-ily a self-management tool, designed to help us re-frame our own thinking.

Incorrect Questions (IQs) are the "why," "when," and "who" questions that lead to victim thinking, procrastination, and blame. Contrasting QBQs with IQs is an excellent way to learn how to put the QBQ into action. Let's take a look at the following IQ/QBQ comparisons: In this book, we will explore the QBQ! Advantage Principles-five fundamental concepts or values that guide our behavior. The QBQ! Advantage Principles are:

Huge difference between using personal accountability to solve a problem (which is what the book focuses on) and using personal accountability to initiate a conversation with others about working to solve the problem. Doesn't explain when you'd want to use which approach. Leadership has nothing to do with our title, position, tenure, or "span of control" and everything to do with the way we think. By bringing responsibility, ownership, and action to life, the QBQ helps each of us think-and act-like a leader. Even though there are risks involved in taking action, the alternative, inaction, is almost never the better choice.

It is no small wonder that John G. Miller's books sells in quantity - as soon as you finish reading it, you realize the power behind the subtle shift in how you view the world - and now, everyone you know can benefit from this understanding too! Once you read this book, you will want to buy a copy for every one you know. I couldn’t believe it. Was that an act of empowerment or what? I’ll bet we can all think of times we would love to look at our “boss” and say, “Get me a Diet Coke!” What a great image. But beyond that, his actions paint a marvelous picture of personal accountability and the Question Behind the Question. We’ll go into the specifics of the QBQ in the chapters to come, but for now let’s take a look at my server’s thinking and the choices he made.I was on a long flight, sitting next to a man in his mid-​fifties. We introduced ourselves and started a friendly conversation along the lines of “Where are you heading?” and “What do you do?” It turns out he owns a second home near Aspen and was just returning from a twenty-one-day ski vacation. Wow! I thought. Twenty-one days in Aspen. This man has some discretionary income! He went on to say that he lives in New York City and works on Wall Street. Guess what he does? He’s not a broker. He’s a personal injury attorney. I then sat there in my seat, on the tarmac, for another eight hours due to winter weather delays. All around me people got angrier and angrier and I could only laugh because I had just finished this book and was unable to access a victim mentality without the question behind the question (the QBQ) rising up. What is that concept? It's simple: getting to questions in our lives that move us toward positive action. As opposed to all those questions most people use daily in their work and personal lives which attempt to avoid responsibility or place blame on others for the problem of the moment. It really is that simple. But because the concept is so clear, the majority of the book gives examples of how we can rephrase our words and thinking to become more effective at problem solving. More effective ourselves. Not by attempting to change others. Not by anything other than realizing that we simply can NOT change others, and asking questions about why others do or don't do what we want them to do are useless questions. The first QBQ guideline says all QBQs begin with “What” or “How,” not “Why,”“When,” or “Who.” Take another look at the “Why?” questions at the beginning of the chapter and consider what would happen if we asked these instead: Afterward, we all moved to another room for the company's annual awards banquet. When dinner was over, the CEO got up and began lauding people for their achievements. One by one they came forward to receive their recognition, a parade of smiling achievers smothered in the applause of their peers.

i decided to continue on and though i learned a lot and think what he's trying to teach people is great (but i still think he shouldn't have used that example!)every day ask yourself How Can I do My Job Better Today? What Can I Do to Improve the Situation? How Can I Support Others? Too often in this country today people act the victim. "I couldn't do what I needed to do because that person didn't do their thing." "It's not my fault I burnt my tongue on that coffee, the cup wasn't clearly enough labeled 'HOT!'" You get the idea. So much of the genius in this country seems to be spent in figuring out how to avoid personal responsibility. At work. At home. At school. In parenting. For anything. Does anyone think this is a good thing? In any way? I recently left the company I had been working for the last twelve years and the awesome team I had cultivated there. Going into a new company and new culture was a little scary and I wasn't sure what to expect. In some ways the company culture is better and in some ways it was worse. There are always trade offs right, but starting with a new team I found there were a few people in it that played the blame game actively and while some statements made might be true they weren't productive to getting work done. I'll never forget the day I happened upon this book. That may seem a little dramatic, but you rarely forget career and life-altering moments in your life, and this was certainly one of them. I was on a layover in Las Vegas looking for something to read on my flight to the east coast and there it was with the two words I thought everyone in my organization needed "personal accountability". It wasn't until I finished the book that I realized it that I was the one who needed those two words more than anyone. Before we go on to the first Advantage Principle, take a moment to review the IQ/QBQ comparisons one by one. Think about how you might make better choices and ask better questions. Consider the impact of eliminating blame, complaining, victim thinking, and procrastination. Imagine the difference the QBQ will make in your life, both at work and at home.

The QBQ is different. It's practical and it works. What makes it work are three easy-to-apply guidelines that show us how to construct effective questions: At QBQ, Inc., we exist to help you, the QBQ! reader and learner, as well as our customer, apply the QBQ! material at work and home. So, please, never hesitate to reach out to us. I just thought if I had some way to study your material further," David replied, "I could apply it even better!" By then I was thinking profound and professional thoughts like Cool! But what I said was, “Come on, you’ve been awfully busy. How did you have time to go get it?” Smiling and seemingly growing taller before my eyes, he said, “I didn’t, sir. I sent my manager!” From the bestselling author of QBQ! The Question Behind the Question comes a workbook to help you on your journey to embrace personal accountability.The Question Behind the Question is built on the observation that our first reactions are often negative, bringing to mind Incorrect Questions (IQs). But if in each moment of decision we can instead discipline ourselves to look behind those initial Incorrect Questions and ask ourselves better ones (QBQs), the questions themselves will lead us to better results. Perfect for a trivia night or a long trip, #TrainTeasers will both test your knowledge of this country`s rail system and enlighten you on the most colourful aspects of its long history. Meet trunk murderers, trainspotters, haters of railways, railway writers, Ministers for Transport good and bad, railway cats, dogs and a railway penguin. This is NOT a book for number-crunching nerds. Many of the answers are guessable by the intelligent reader. It is a quiz, yes, but also a cavalcade of historical incident and colour relating to a system that was the making of modern Britain.