What Can Asking Questions Do?
Edition #133
Introduction
Welcome to The ContraMind Code.
The ContraMind Code provides you with a system of principles, signals, and ideas to aid you in your pursuit of excellence.
The newsletter shares the source code through quick snapshots for a systems thinking approach to be the best in what you do.
The Code helps you reboot and reimagine your thinking by learning from the best and enables you to draw a blueprint on what it takes to get extraordinary things done. Please share your valuable thoughts and comments and start a conversation.
Take a journey to www.contraminds.com. Listen and watch some great minds talking to us about their journey of discovery of what went into making them craftsmen of their profession to drive peak performance.
Stone Age Builders Had Engineering Savvy, Finds Study Of 6000-Year-Old Monument.
A research paper published in Nature recently reveals the immense engineering capabilities of stone-age humans. The archaeologists used data, photos, and diagrams to understand the possible construction process for the monument Dolmen of Menga.
Here are some startling findings from this research that can amaze you :
The Neolithic farmers and herders who built a massive stone chamber in southern Spain nearly 6,000 years ago possessed a good rudimentary grasp of physics, geometry, geology and architectural principles.
Transporting these huge slabs from the quarry to the site without breaking them would have required particular care. They suggest that this could have been done using specially built wooden tracks to reduce friction as the stones were dragged along, much as the builders of Stonehenge are thought to have done.
Dolmen of Menga is in a seismically active, earthquake-prone area. Despite this, after nearly 6,000 years, the stonework is still snug and secure.
The laser scans revealed that the builders used counterweights and ramps to move the uprights carefully into the sockets, tilting them at precise, millimetre-scale angles. The stones were carved into facets that meant they locked against their neighbours when the weights and ramps were removed.
Read the entire article here.
Amita Mehra on Mastering Data-Driven Marketing with Google.
Amita Mehra, Google's Head of Agency Business, is responsible for its digital advertising initiatives across the APAC region. Amita shares invaluable insights on how artificial intelligence is reshaping the marketing landscape and empowering brands to achieve unprecedented success.
Here are five key takeaways from this conversation:
AI-powered marketing is transforming the industry, requiring marketers to embrace experimentation and data-driven strategies to optimize campaigns and drive results.
First-party data is becoming increasingly crucial. Brands need to invest in building infrastructure to collect, analyze, and leverage this data effectively in their marketing efforts.
The role of media agencies is evolving from idea generators to solution facilitators, requiring new skills in data analytics, AI management, and strategic thinking.
Integrated planning across channels, including connected TVs and mobile devices, is essential for effective modern marketing campaigns.
Marketers must continually upskill, focusing on data analytics, prompt engineering, and adaptability to thrive in the rapidly changing AI-driven marketing landscape.
You can also listen to this episode on:
Apple Podcast | Amazon Music | YouTube
Child Prodigies And Geniuses.
"60 Minutes" is the most successful television broadcast in history. In this episode, Scott Pelley profiles 12-year-old music prodigy Alma Deutscher.
In this episode, Scott asks many curious questions to find answers to how she can compose at such a young age. You can click the above link to watch answers to the following questions:
“When did your composing begin?”
“Do you have any idea of where this comes from?”
Here are some questions that are being asked of her parents - “Do you feel that there's anything about Alma's gift that you don't understand.”
Parents ask a question during the interview: “Where does this creativity come from?
Alma asks, “How do I tell a real story with music?”
“People compare you to Mozart. What do you think of that?”
“What does a girl your age know about dark and dramatic?”
“How many composers do you have in your head?”
“What have you learnt about life?”
You can click on the above link and watch the video.
What Can Asking Questions Do?
You often find it embarrassing or uneasy to ask questions. You could be in a meeting with a client, or at work with your colleagues, or meeting your friends for an evening, or you may be visiting a new city or tourist destination for a vacation. There is always something new you come across, and you will have a rush of questions that come to your head. But, you resist the temptation of asking these questions as you fear that it may sound stupid, or if you are in a position of power, you do not want to sound ignorant, amongst many other things that start going through your mind. You then suddenly stop asking questions. That‘s not necessarily a good thing. If you want to explore, discover, learn and understand something in-depth, you must master the art of asking questions. Questions will help you see things through a new eye.
The National Insitute of Health(NIH) carries a thought-provoking article on the benefits of asking questions. So, what can asking questions do:
It opens a new line of communication.
It gives you more information.
It improves your interactions.
It facilitates analysis and diagnostics.
It helps us propose our own ideas.
It develops motivation to learn.
It helps you get more creative.
Harvard Business Review published an excellent article on the ‘Surprising Power of Questions.’ It mentions that most of an executive’s workday is spent asking for information, and this skill can be honed, but not enough attention is paid to it. Questioning is a powerful tool to unlock value in organisations. Asking questions can improve your emotional intelligence.
Don’t hesitate to ask questions. Finding ways to hone this skill can help you do things with a reason and purpose.
Some lessons we learnt from this week’s missions:
When we research and explore some of history's artefacts, we can gain new insights and knowledge that can surprise us. You need to develop a curious mind to understand things better around you.
How we can become solution facilitators rather than just idea generators is an interesting perspective to consider and think about.
It is vital to consciously hone the skill of asking questions.