Anyone who has read Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams might be aware that the answer to the question “What is the meaning of the universe, life, and everything” comes out to be 42. This is frustrating to the characters in the book, especially when the supercomputer built for the purpose takes millions of years to answer that.

When the characters express their disappointment, the supercomputer gives a befitting response which then becomes a popular quote.

It says ” “I think the problem, to be quite honest with you, is that you’ve never actually known what the question is.”

Google pays homage to Douglas Adams in its own unique and creative way. When you Google ” “What is the meaning of the universe, life, and everything” the calculator appears in the results with the answer as 42.

Asking questions is a skill. Most of us are not equipped to ask the right questions. We don’t spend time and effort to craft good questions. Below is a common example.

Why did you make so many job changes in the past?

and

What motivates you to frequently keep on changing jobs?

These two questions might offer you different answers. If you are a job hopper like me, I am sure almost no one has asked you the latter. The answer might slightly differ but the second question makes you more comfortable and lets you reflect on authentic reasons.

“Why” is accusatory and “what” is exploratory. I learned this in my ACC coaching journey so far. What do you think?