Question the Given means refusing to let legacy thinking dictate today’s decisions. Leaders examine requirements, processes, and norms with a fresh lens. They separate what is truly essential from what simply “came with the job.”
When this practice takes root, teams stop waiting for permission. They redesign workflows, remove redundant steps, and surface opportunities that mature organizations often overlook. Innovation becomes a natural byproduct of curiosity and rigor—not a separate initiative.
The organization becomes rigid. Teams treat questionable constraints as immovable, slowing improvement. Rework grows, and customers experience stagnation masked as stability.
Teams gain ownership and momentum. Accountability rises, deadlines become more reliable, and leaders spend less time chasing or correcting. Innovation strengthens because people stop deferring tough questions.
A junior leader inherited a requirement that slowed every project. She questioned it, learned it was based on an outdated dependency, and removed it. The team’s cycle time shortened and accountability increased across the group.
Explore Decision Making 100: Name the Tradeoffs for sharper framing, Learning 100: Follow Your Confusion to surface blind spots, and Strategy 200: Look to Subtract to remove outdated work.
