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

by John G. Miller

In one form or another, we often hear, “It’s not my fault,” “It’s not my job,” or “It’s not my problem.”

Incorrect Questions, or IQs, since nothing positive or productive comes from asking them. They’re also the complete opposite of personal accountability, because in each one the implication is that someone or something else is responsible for the problem or situation.

more accountable questions such as “What can I do to make a difference?” and “How can I support the team?”

A tool that enables individuals to practice personal accountability by making better choices in the moment.

The idea that we are accountable for our own choices and are free to make better ones is fundamental to the QBQ.

“The answers are in the questions,” which speaks to the same truth: If we ask ourselves a better question, we get a better answer. So the QBQ is about asking better questions. But how can we tell a good question from a bad one? What does a “better” question sound like?