Why ‘Why’ can trip you up and what to say instead

‘Why’ is such a small and yet powerful word to notice, understand and be aware of as you use it.  Really, why?

Well, it does two things very quickly, immediately in fact.  Two things you want to avoid.

• One, it sends people straight to the word “because” which is justifying their actions/decisions and
• Two, it closes down information-gathering in the request for “the reason”.

Let me explain.  As Big Bird from Sesame Street tells us “Questions are a great way of finding things out” and questions are crucial to us digging deeper, connecting with people, understanding what’s going on.

The trick about “why” is the effect it has on us and, more importantly, the effect it has on those we ask the question.

When children are growing up (and yes, we probably did it too) it’s seen as quite cute when they ask “why?” and then you answer and then they ask “why?” again and again and, often again.  As you answer them you’ll probably say “because” and “because” etc until eventually “because I say so!”.

Day to day, we’re constantly asking questions (well I hope you are, based on Big Bird’s philosophy!) to find out what’s happening, what progress there is on things, how people are, where things are etc.

Notice the difference in this situation.  Imagine I was with you and asked you what you’re up to this weekend?  You tell me “oh, I’m off shopping with friends and then on to the cinema” for example.   Then I say “Oh, why are you going to the cinema?”.  You’ll say, “because XYZ film’s out and I want to see it”.  It’s an innocent enough question with, in this case, no further agenda.  And yet, you’ve justified to me “why” you’re going to the cinema.  Because…. and then you’ve gone inside and thought about the reason you decided to go to the cinema.

If I ask you the same question and when you tell me you’re off to the cinema with friends I say to you “aah, what are you going to see?”  or “who are you going with” are much less on-the-spot questions.  They seek information not justification and when we justify ourselves we’re on the defensive, we’re explaining the reasons vs giving information, however innocent the scenario.  It’s also quite irritating to have to explain why – and here’s why.  Because we have to take a position and the question implies some judgment behind it.

Now this is the powerful bit.  Take this scenario to the workplace, or to a home life discussion about something that has some emotion attached to it, “why did you do that?”, “why haven’t you done that?” “why are you going there?” and you’re immediately putting the other person on the back foot, defending their decision or their position.  That’s the moment when you close the door on more information, often before you’re ready.

It’s one of the many small words that make a BIG difference in our day-to-day conversations and directly affect the reactions and responses we get.  Working with a Board of Directors recently discussing this very word, they all had an “aha” moment and something useful and simple to take and use straight away.  The trick is we don’t know until we know, do we?

Try it out with someone as an experiment and get his or her feedback from the experience.  They’ll tell you why they prefer one question to the other, because you’ve asked for a bit more information vs put them “on guard”.

Let me know your thoughts about this tricky old subject below.  I’d love to hear from you.