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WHY NOT?

Sep 27, 2010 » by Jody

When my sister was 12 years old she wanted to carry the cross up the aisle during the church service on Sunday (just like the altar boys). She was told that girls couldn’t carry the cross up the aisle. Huh?

She thought maybe God had some rule she didn’t know about. She thought maybe if a girl carried the cross up the aisle, perhaps it didn’t count in God-land. She thought perhaps if a girl carried the cross up the aisle something in the God-like universe would somehow . . . go awry? Or perhaps church doesn’t really count if a girl carries the cross up the aisle. Or maybe the devil would make an appearance and then she would be banned from God’s house forever and she really kinda liked God’s house.

So she innocently asked ‘WHY NOT’?

The answer? It’s too heavy for girls.

So after everyone left the church for coffee and fellowship hour, she snuck back in, went right up to the cross and lifted it out of its stand. It wasn’t heavy at all. In fact it was quite light. In fact, it was mildly exhilarating to know she could carry the cross and the silly old reason ‘it’s too heavy for girls’ was simply not true.

So she boldly marched right back to the Minister and said “Father, I lifted the cross and it’s not too heavy”.

The next Sunday rolled around and there she was proudly carrying the cross up the aisle.

Asking ‘WHY NOT?’ is a challenge. Asking ‘WHY NOT?’ opens the doors to creating new ideas, processes, and paths to success.

The status quo can be disrupted with two simple words. WHY NOT?

Work from a coffee shop instead of sitting in rush traffic? WHY NOT?

Decide for yourself when and where you will do your work? WHY NOT?

Go to your child’s school in the middle of the day to read to their class? WHY NOT?

Be accountable to achieve results instead of putting in time? WHY NOT?

Go to a matinee on a Wednesday? WHY NOT?

Take a business call from your deck? WHY NOT?

Go visit your brother (mother, cousin or friend) in Hawaii and get your work done at the same time without having to submit vacation time? WHY NOT?

Respectfully decline a meeting that is a complete and utter waste of your time and the company’s money? WHY NOT?

In a ROWE, the life you want to live is possible. WHY NOT?

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  • Lost In Aerospace

    Amen

  • http://eveglass.livejournal.com Julie

    I might just add a caveat — some people will reply to a “why not” question with a reason, then come up with more reasons every time you meet their objections. It would be as if, for your sister, she met told the priest that she could lift the cross, and then he told her, “Girls can’t carry the cross because their shoes are slippery.” Then, if she came back with less-slippery shoes, he might give another reason. All the “reasons” are simply covers for the real reason, which might be anything from “It threatens our traditions” to “We’re misogynistic but don’t want to admit it.”

    When asking “Why not,” be sure that the answer you’re getting is the *real* answer!

    • Cali & Jody

      Excellent point, Julie! We’ve seen this happen, too, and it’s so infuriating. You’re exactly right – when the “Why Not?” is met with a strange (ok – stupid) answer, it’s important to realize there’s definitely underlying forces at work. And that’s when some serious “What am I doing with my LIFE?” moments must take place.

      First things first, though – start by asking “Why Not?” and then go from there :)

    • Jody

      Exactly. It’s too bad we often accept the answer we really don’t believe.

  • C. A. Hurst

    Hey Jody,

    This is great! Thank you!

    I’m currently reading “In Search of Excellence” by Tom Peters and Bob Waterman, published in 1982. It catalogues the results of a study that Peters and Waterman conducted of what they thought of as “excellent” U.S. companies at that time. Here’s a quote about champions: “Champions are pioneers, and pioneers get shot at. The companies that get the most from champions, therefore, are those that have rich support networks so their pioneers will flourish. This point is so important it’s hard to overstress. No support system, no champions. No champions, no innovations.”

    Champions are people who ask, “Why not?” then ignore all the people that try to convince them not to try something new; convince them not to think creatively; convince them not to be innovative. What is truly amazing to me is how our culture can ignore recent history. In the late 1800’s a crazy Frenchmen by the name of Jules Verne crafted outlandish tales about undersea vessels and rocket ships that could travel to the moon. Preposterous, of course! Utterly impossible! How about airplanes? Early 20th Century. But if God had intended for humans to fly, surely He would have given them wings! Electricity? Radio? Telephones? Television? Microwave ovens? Personal computers? And sticky notes! The guys that invented sticky notes were told it couldn’t be done.

    So, here’s the deal: Change is inevitable. Many of the kinds of work that produces economic growth has already changed. In order to best facilitate the most productive ways to perform that work our culture must flex and change. In fact, for many of us the decision was made for us by life circumstances and we’re figgerin’ it out as we go. The work-place landscape has changed and it will continue to change. The champions will continue to innovate.

    I think it’s time to be annoying and ask, “Why not? Why not? Why not? Why not?” “Why not?” until we DO get the honest answer, which is, “I don’t know.”

    Go ROWE!

    • Cali & Jody

      Change is definitely inevitable. We always say it’s not *if* organizations will go ROWE – it’s *when*. And being annoying with the “Why not?” is fine by us – be annoying in the most annoying ways possible to get to the real answer!