How would you handle it if you had a direct order from your manager or broker, to do something that you thought was dumb. What do you say? Do you really speak your mind or do you agree and try to get away from them as fast as possible? Since we have the instinct of self preservation you might be tempted to say something like "oh...that is interesting" or something generic like that. Not really agreeing but, not sharing with them why it won't work. Why, we don't want to lose our jobs.
Here are a few of my favorite stupid questions that I have been asked by supervisors in my business career.
1. "Why can't you just have group closings, where you get 10 couples in a room and hop around closing them all at the same time?"
2. "What if we only focused on recruiting new agents...they are the fastest to train?"
3. "You mean we have to send out those disclosures every time we deny someone for a loan?"
4. "What does RESPA have to do with me taking my clients to the football game?"
and my personal favorite....
5. "Why should managers get paid less, just because they do less?"
The point of this blog is, what makes a question stupid is not the question itself. Determining whether or not a question is stupid depends on whether or not the person asking the question, is in a position that they should already know the answer.
My grandfather told me many times as a child," Sometimes it's better to keep your mouth shut and have people THINK that you are stupid, than to open your mouth and prove them RIGHT." These are 5 prime examples where Grandpa's advice would have come in handy.
People do judge your ability to manage based on the questions that you ask and how you answer them. It is a barometer of your intelligence. So, if you have the next great idea and want to get feedback on it, do a little independent study before you start asking silly questions. Get feedback from the people that will have to live day to day with your decision.
Your subordinates will appreciate it!
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