Little kids ask "Why?" all the time, because they are sponges for learning. They don't know what they don't know, and so they ask "Why?" to get a better understanding. As we get older, we tend to lose this natural curiosity, either because we assume "Why?" has already been asked and answered or we're just too busy to bother.

We need to be more like little kids.

One of the greatest parts of my work is that, as an outsider coming in to an organization for the first time, I can ask "Why?" about pretty much anything since I'm new to almost everything being discussed.

And "Why?" is such a powerful question because it's not asked as often as it should be. How many times have you heard the answer to "Why?" as some form of "Because we've always done it that way"?

Asking "Why?" forces us to justify what we're doing. Whether it's data that we're collecting, technology we're using, or business processes and rules we're executing, asking "Why?" can help us determine if we're doing something out of habit rather than for a good reason.

So be like those little kids and ask "Why?" more often. You'll be amazed at what you learn!