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

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The message itself has some value, but the book over-promises on its usefulness and under-delivers on how to actually use it. Anyone can fall into the “Why?” trap. I asked a department manager once how many people worked for him, and he said, “About half!” It’s a funny response, but he was undoubtedly the kind of manager who would also ask the IQs “Why can’t I find good people?”“Why doesn’t the younger generation really want to work?” and “Why don’t I get more support from upper management?” This book was introduced to me from my employer who brought in John's daughter to introduce us to the QBQ! method. 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. Even though there are risks involved in taking action, the alternative, inaction, is almost never the better choice.

This books talks about recognizing personal accountability in all areas of your life...personally and professionally. But simply reading about personal accountability will not bring the Advantage Principles to life. Personal accountability is all about action-making better choices day in and day out. Throughout this book we'll hear stories of individuals like Bill who embody the Advantage Principles and see the difference personal accountability makes in their lives. But we won't see much difference in our lives until we take similar actions of our own. So let's start right now. As you read on, continually ask yourself, "How can I-how will I-apply these ideas at work and at home?" That's the first step toward unleashing the power of personal accountability and gaining the QBQ! Advantage. All it takes is the simple flip of a switch. Immediately, my wife took notice. She'd make a suggestion, preparing for the worst, and I'd thank her. She was stunned.In his bestselling book QBQ! The Question Behind the Question, John G. Miller revealed how personal accountability helps to create opportunity, overcome obstacles, and achieve goals by eliminating blame, complaining, and procrastination. The result? Stronger organizations, more dynamic teams, and healthier relationships. These principles aren't new, of course. Nor is the idea that living by them improves lives. What is new, and what we'll be exploring in this book, is how personal accountability and the QBQ relate to each of them. We'll show that using the QBQ and practicing personal accountability may be the most effective strategy for bringing the Advantage Principles to life. 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. 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:

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: What can I do?” for example, follows the guidelines perfectly. It begins with “What,” contains an “I,” and focuses on action: “What can I do?” Simple, as I said. But don’t let its simplicity fool you. Like a jewel, the QBQ is made up of many facets. In the following chapters, we’ll explore these facets and see the powerful effect asking QBQs can have on our lives. The QBQ is a tool that helps leaders at all levels practice personal accountability by asking better questions and making better choices in the moment.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? The final few years of our dance partnership (we only stopped because we started a family) were the best of our career. My dancing was never better, but even more importantly, our partnership was never better. Funny how that works. Even the best of us can fall into the trap of blaming others - here's the problem: I can never succeed, as long as I believe that my situation is someone else's fault. It is only when I ask myself the QBQ (question behind the question) that I am finally set free.

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 think this is a must have fast read for anyone in management. Some managers don't capitalize on the differences of their teams and instead trying to treat everyone the same and I have found that is a horrible way to operate. Instead it is better to identify what are the strengths and weaknesses of all the team members and help they play to their strengths while developing their weaknesses. 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. I've seen firsthand the difference personal accountability can make. I recently had my first year-end evaluation from my new boss. In our organization-a large financial and insurance firm-the highest rating anyone can achieve on their performance review is an "Exceeds." My boss began the meeting by saying he had not awarded an "Exceeds" to anyone in fifteen years! "But your performance has been stellar and I'm giving you an 'Exceeds' rating for the year. I wish I had a dozen people just like you!" 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.

No, I haven’t,” I said. “And I’m in a bit of a hurry. But all I really want is a salad and maybe a couple of rolls.”We have countless opportunities each day to make choices. And what is it that we are always choosing? Our next thought. A compelling opportunity for change exists in these individual moments. Taking charge of our thoughts can literally transform our lives. By helping us make better choices, the QBQ enables us to do just that. Here's an integrity test for anyone who's part of an organiziation: Does what we say about our organization while we're at work match what we say at home? If it's positive at work and negative a few hours later at home, we have a choice to make. Here's an idea we should all consider: