When Questions *Are* the Insights

Organisations often require produced reports to end with a list of actionable recommendations. It’s a standard expectation and for good reason. Organisations want to know what to do next.

But sometimes, the most transformative thing we can offer isn’t a recommendation. It’s a question.

A well-crafted, data-informed question can open a window that a direct instruction can’t. It can reveal an organisation’s assumptions, clarify what matters most, or illuminate the tension between values and practice. Questions invite internal reflection and ownership. They don’t hand over the answer but they can help people find the answer that fits.

At Quotidian Strategies, we often find that questions can be the insight. When surfaced with care and precision, they lead teams to deeper clarity, greater alignment, and more meaningful action.

If you’re sitting with a report or insight right now, consider asking:

❓What is this recommendation asking you to confront?

❓What would need to be true for you and/or your organisation for this action to succeed

❓What tensions may you be avoiding by jumping straight to a solution?

❓Whose perspective is missing in how this recommendation was formed?

❓If you held this recommendation as a question, what might it be?

And if you’re drafting recommendations, consider:

• What might we offer as an inquiry rather than an instruction?

• Are there questions that, if explored honestly, would shift the way the organisation sees itself?

• What kind of action could emerge if the team held a specific question over time?

In organisational cultures that often prioritise measurable outcomes, it can feel risky to offer a question instead of an answer.

But the right question, at the right moment, can move you toward deeper understanding and lasting change.

Sometimes the question is the work.