HBR Guide to Critical Thinking

CHAPTER 11 Stop Asking “Why” and Start Asking “How”

by Alan H. Palmer

Asking “Why?” in response to an obstacle that has been thrown in our way is a common human reaction. If your boss tells you, “I don’t think you’re quite ready for the promotion,” your immediate reaction will probably be “Why not?” Or if you hear from a client, “We’ve decided to invite some of your competitors to pitch for our business,” you might follow up with, “Why is that?”

The logic we have picked up from our parents and teachers growing up is that to deal with a problem, we must first understand the reasons behind it, and only then can we find the appropriate counterarguments. For instance, once we know that the client considers us to be too expensive, now we can ...