I believe we should ask more questions and demand better answers. In his book The Ministry of Common Sense, Martin Lindstrom argues that every company needs someone whose job it is to ask questions about procedures, processes, red tape, and "corporate bull****."
I have often said something similar. There should be someone whose job it is to ask Why? Why are we doing it this way? Why does this rule exist? Who does it serve? How can we simplify this process? How can we improve the customer experience? Where's the common sense? Philosophers are uniquely qualified to do this work since they are trained to ask questions just like this. As a philosopher, I am attuned to looking at situations from different perspectives, seeing the bigger picture, and asking questions.
Sometimes, it is the most obvious question that is never asked. But when someone does ask the question, new insights are revealed and new ideas can flourish. Often, the connections cannot be made by the people within an organization because they are too close to the problem. The need a fresh perspective. What is often needed is what Zen Buddhist teacher D.T. Suzuki called "the beginner's mind."
Need a fresh perspective? Need someone to ask the right questions? Let me help.
