Seth Godin has a great blog post today that I think is infinitely relevant to Enron. Here is the post in its entirety:
“Why?” is the most important question, not asked nearly enough.
Hint: “Because I said so,” is not a valid answer.
Why does it work this way?
Why is that our goal?
Why did you say no?
Why are we treating people differently?
Why is this our policy?
Why don’t we enter this market?
Why did you change your mind?
Why are we having this meeting?
Why not?
Enron’s “Ask Why” campaign was more than just a snazzy marketing tic. It was a genuine question and it encompassed the ethos of the company. I think the executives, and possibly the employees, thought of these questions every day. That’s what made them so great.
