The answers are in the questions you ask
Words matter. Techniques for better product management.
My kids learned early on that words matter.
They would ask something like, “can we go to some place?” My response was, “yes.” When they realized that we weren’t going anywhere, they learned that my response wasn’t agreement and their question wasn’t specific enough. They’d try something like, “can we go to some place now?” Better. More specifc. My response was still, “yes.” Eventually they learned to ask, “are we going to some place at some specific date/time?” Much better. That elicited a different answer, but they learned how to ask better questions.
There’s a big difference between “can we” and “are we” — words matter.
Perhaps you’re thinking, what a jerk. Surely I understood what they meant, right? Of course. So why put them through that frustrating exercise? Because you never want to put someone else in a position of assuming your intent. You know what they say about “assume” — it makes an “ass” out of “u” and “me.”
You will save time and frustration by being concise with your words. You will get to the heart of the matter quicker. You will arrive at better information, which leads to better products.
“One of the fastest ways to find the…
