Today I want to talk about asking better questions because I’ve been seeing this issue a lot with my coaching clients lately.  This is important because the questions we ask ourselves not only shape our individual experiences but also influence our professional and personal lives. 

As a CPA and a Professional Certified Coach for accountants, I’ve witnessed firsthand how the quality of questions impacts decision-making, time management, problem-solving, and overall effectiveness.  Basically, the questions we ask affect how we feel which then affects what we do or don’t do.

For example, let’s say you wake up, your brain clicks into gear, and the questions start flooding in. “Why is it so early?” “What do I have to do today?” “Why do I feel so tired?” Sound familiar?

Here’s the problem: most of those questions are pretty lousy. They’re like those annoying pop-up ads that clutter your screen when you’re trying to look up something – distracting, unhelpful, and downright irritating.

We all know that questions are essential. They’re how we navigate the world, make decisions, and understand ourselves and others. But here’s the thing: not all questions are created equal.

Think about it: when you ask yourself a question, you’re basically sending your brain on a mission to find an answer. In fact, your brain is like a Google search bar.

But depending on the quality of that question, your brain’s going to come back with either a helpful or unhelpful answer.  

In other words, most of us ask dead-end, unhelpful questions like “Why is this so hard?” or “Why can’t I figure this out?” 

On the flip side, you’ve got more empowering questions like “How can I make this easier?” or “What can I learn from this?”

See the difference? It’s like asking yourself whether you want a good day or a bad day. One type of question is going to leave you feeling overwhelmed, while the other is going to leave you feeling in control.

So, why does it matter, especially for accountants? Well, again, the questions we ask ourselves then shape our thoughts, our emotions, and our actions.  

When we get stuck in a cycle of dead-end questions, it’s like we’re just spinning our wheels in the mud. But when we start asking ourselves powerful questions, that’s when things change for the better.

I know you might be thinking that asking powerful questions isn’t always easy. You probably don’t even realize that you’re asking dead-end, unhelpful questions, let alone being able to switch to more powerful questions.  

But trust me, it’s worth the effort.

The truth is that every question is a choice, and every thought is a choice. And when you choose to ask yourself better questions, you get better answers which lead to better feelings, actions and results. 

Bottom line: if you want great answers, ask great questions.

Dead-End Questions

Whether you’re dealing with tricky tax laws, planning how to make your business grow, or just handling your everyday tasks, asking the right questions is key. When we get better at empowering questions, we give ourselves a big advantage. 

When we make asking better questions a habit, we make it possible to create better results.

So let’s get clear on dead-end versus powerful questions by starting with dead-end questions.

First, dead-end questions have a knack for negativity. They focus on what’s going wrong rather than envisioning what could go right. 

For example, when’s the last time you asked yourself something like, “Why is this so hard?”   This question sets a dismal tone, and sets your brain on a mission to find why things are so hard.

Your brain doesn’t care that you feel horrible after asking yourself, “Why is this so hard?”  It’s only job is to answer the question and show you why something is so hard.

The second thing about dead-end questions is that they don’t dig deep. They just stick to the surface of the problem, like skating over thin ice. 

For example, asking, “Why can’t I ever catch a break?” doesn’t really get to the root of the issue. It’s like trying to fix a leaky faucet without figuring out where the leak is coming from.

Third, dead-end questions can be really narrow-minded. They stop us from looking for new ideas and solutions, like putting blinders on a horse. 

For example, asking, “Why should I bother trying?” already assumes that we’ll fail, so we don’t even give ourselves a chance to think about how things could get better. It’s like saying, “I give up” before we even start.

Here are some examples of dead-end questions that you’ll want to pay attention to:

Why can’t I start?

Why can’t I finish?

Why am I so busy?

Why do I always feel like this?

Why did I do this to myself?

Why did they do this to me?

Why can’t I get it together?

Why can’t they get it together?

Why can’t someone else do this?

Why is this happening to me?

Why is my life so hard?

Why haven’t I learned this yet?

What’s wrong with me?

What did I do to deserve this?

What will they think of me?

When is it going to get better?

Why can’t he/she _______?

As you can see, these questions are going to lead to disempowering answers.  Their inherent negativity is going to result in negative, unhelpful answers.

Powerful Questions

Now, let’s talk about powerful questions. These are like switching on the light in a dark room.

First off, powerful questions are all about looking on the bright side. They turn problems into chances to learn and grow. 

For example, instead of thinking, “Why am I always making mistakes?,” you might ask yourself, “What can I learn from this mistake?” It’s like flipping a switch from feeling down to feeling curious or determined.

Second, powerful questions really get to the bottom of things. They make us think about what’s going on, again, like shining a flashlight into a dark room. 

For example, asking yourself, “How can I handle this problem in a new way?” makes you stop and think about your options. It’s like opening a door to fresh ideas and ways to solve problems.

Thirdly, powerful questions are all about being open to new ideas. They encourage us to be curious and explore different ways of thinking.

For example, asking yourself, “What else could I try that I haven’t thought of before?” pushes you to think outside the box and stay open to new opportunities. It’s like walking down a different hallway with doors that open to new possibilities you might not have considered.

Here are some examples of powerful questions that you may want to choose:

How do I want to feel?

What do I need to believe to feel the way I want to feel?

How can I take more responsibility for what I think, feel, and do?

How can I make this easier?

How can I get this done in less time?

How can I create what I want?

How can I make this more fun?

How can I delegate this?

What can I do to reach my goal?

What’s my next best step?

What am I grateful for?

What’s great about this?

As you can see, these questions are going to lead to much more empowering answers.  That Google search bar in your brain is going to look for answers that are helpful and productive.

So, hopefully you now can see how important the questions we ask ourselves really are. When we ask the right questions, it can totally change how we think and what we do. 

By swapping out those negative questions for better ones, we can start seeing things in a whole new light. 

Incorporating Powerful Questions

Now that you know the difference between dead-end and powerful questions, how can you tell if you’re asking yourself a dead-end question or a powerful question?

Here are some things to consider:

Is there a positive belief built into your question?

Does your question feel good or encourage you to evolve beyond your comfort zone?

Does your question empower you to take responsibility?

Does your question inspire you to take action?

Does your question generate insight?

Does your question open your mind?

Does your question help you discern what’s going on?

Does your question allow for appreciation and compassion?

The truth is that whenever there’s something that’s not working for you in your professional or personal life, it’s time to find the primary dead-end question that’s getting in the way.  But just know that it might feel uncomfortable at first.

If you’ve been asking yourself the same dead-end questions, that’s what your brain is familiar with.  That’s become your default.

And it’s important to understand that your brain loves default thoughts or questions, even if they’re unhelpful.  Your lower, primitive brain, the part that’s running your life 80 – 90% of the time doesn’t care that dead-end questions lead to unhelpful answers. 

Using a Powerful Question To Have An Easier Accounting Career

For example, I’ve been in public accounting for over 30 years and for decades I would ask myself, “Why is tax season so hard?”  Year after year, I would ask the same question, “Why is tax season so hard?”

But then I learned about how my brain works and could see what that repetitive question was creating for me.  What it created was constantly feeling stressed which caused me to complain, spin in my head, not manage my time effectively, not be able to get more done in less time, and ultimately resulting in tax season being hard….again!

Once I realized how unhelpful that question was, “Why is tax season so hard,” I was able to switch it to “How can I make tax season easier?”  At first my brain was resistant because it was used to looking for proof for why tax season was so hard, but I just kept asking the powerful question, “How can I make tax season easier?”

And when I asked that question I felt curious which then led me to do a time audit, look at what was working and what wasn’t, look for things I hadn’t considered before, helped me to stop complaining, stop spinning in my head, manage my time more effectively, get more done in less time, and have an easier tax season.

Here’s the thing – as you become better at asking powerful questions, you’ll start to reap the rewards of high-quality answers. I like to think of it as upgrading from basic cable to a premium streaming service – suddenly, you have access to a wealth of information and insights that were previously out of reach. 

By challenging yourself to ask better questions, you open the door to new perspectives and possibilities.

And don’t forget about encouraging your clients to ask powerful questions instead of dead-end questions. As an accountant, you have a unique opportunity to guide others toward greater clarity and understanding. 

By modeling the practice of asking powerful questions yourself, you set an example for your clients or colleagues to follow.

For example, when you’re talking with clients or colleagues, either offer them a powerful question or ask them to think carefully and look at things from different angles. Encourage them to question their assumptions.

By creating a feeling of curiosity for those around you, you help others feel more sure of themselves and come up with creative solutions to their problems.

Even if you’re not in public accounting, dealing with tax season, and asking “Why is tax season so hard?” you can deal with any difficult situation by asking an empowering question like, “How can I make this easier?”  You’ll be amazed at what your brain can come up with.

So, hopefully you can see that incorporating powerful questions into your day offers you a chance to create better results.  It allows your brain to get to work giving you high-quality answers that lead to you taking high-quality action. 

Becoming a Smarter Accountant: Accountants Asking Better Questions

Now let me share how a few clients learned how to ask better questions and what happened when they did.  

Before discovering the power of asking better questions, one of my coaching clients found herself feeling overwhelmed with her workload and struggling to keep up with client demands.  Her typical dead-end questions were, “Why is there never enough time to get everything done?” or “Why do I always feel behind?”

These default, dead-end questions only reinforced feelings of frustration and helplessness, leaving her stuck and unable to effectively manage her time and her workload.

After working together, she decided to change her approach and started asking herself more powerful questions. Instead of dwelling on her frustrations, she asked herself, “How is it possible to get everything done with the time I have?” and “How can I get more done in less time?”

This shift in questioning helped her to effectively prioritize, not give into distractions, and focus.   As a result, she was able to get more done in less time and feel much more in control of her time and her workload.  

Another coaching client often struggled to find creative solutions to his clients’ financial and tax challenges and frequently doubted his abilities. When faced with a difficult problem, his default question was, “Why can’t I figure this out?” 

This dead-end question made him feel self-doubt and inadequate.  This then led to him spinning in his mind, questioning his abilities, and avoiding tackling the problem.

Thankfully, once he learned how to catch his dead-end questions and ask himself more powerful questions, he was able to find solutions he hadn’t thought of before. Instead of asking, “Why can’t I figure this out?” he chose to ask, “What can I do to figure this out?”

He was amazed how this shift in his questions helped him to take action like seeking out additional training, collaborating with colleagues, and asking his client better questions in order to get to the root of the problem.  As a result, he gained confidence and impressed his client with his approach.

In both examples, embracing the concept of powerful questions enabled my coaching clients to move beyond dead-end questions and instead ask better questions so that they could find better answers.  

The bottom line: if you want to take effective action, you need to ask better questions.   

Well, that’s what I have for you.  Thank you for joining me as I discussed the concept of asking better questions.  As always, I hope you’ve gained valuable insights and practical tools.

If you are struggling with any aspect of being an accountant, you can simply go to www.thesmarteraccountant.com/calendar and book a free session with me.

As I tell accountants all the time, you worked hard to become an accountant; it’s time to make it easier to be one.  That starts with taking The Smarter Accountant Quiz at  www.thesmarteraccountant.com. 

You’re going to want to know if you’ve been underutilizing your accountant brain so that you have a starting point for becoming a Smarter Accountant..

Also, I would appreciate it if you could get the word out to other accountants about this podcast.  The more accountants find out about it, the more we can begin to change the narrative in the accounting profession.

The truth is that you’re already smart, but this podcast will show you how to be smarter.