About the Author Marilee Adams, Ph.D. is President and Chief Question Officer of the Inquiry Institute, a consultancy and educational center for leadership, individual, team, and organizational effectiveness. She is a professional speaker, executive coach, coach trainer, and facilitator. Her clients include NASA Goddard, Lockheed Martin, the Brookings Institution, the U.S. Departments of the Treasury, Education, and Interior, Federal Executive Institute, Siemens, Wachovia. Excerpt. Β© Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Introduction Have you ever had an experience that you look back upon and say, βbefore this moment my life was one way, after it another?β Just such a moment in my own life became the seed for this book and what I now call QuestionThinking. Now, over twenty years later, I still look back at that time with gratitude. By now the work it inspired has impacted not only my life but that of many others. Let me share with you the story of that life-altering moment. I can recall it as if it were yesterday. I was on the phone with my Ph.D. advisor, waiting for feedback on some work I felt great about. Holding my breath, I waited for Hallockβs praise. Instead, I heard him say, "Marilee, this is just not acceptable." My stomach did a somersault. Did I hear him right? In those days, critical comments like my advisorβs often left me in tears. For years I had worked to silence my inner critic and become more accepting of myself. While Iβd made some progress, I hadnβt seen great evidence that my efforts had been fruitful. But at this moment, something occurred that felt like a miracle. Instead of the old tearful reaction, I became calm and curious. With ease, I responded to my advisor, "Okay, how do I fix it?" An observer part of me watched all this and asked incredulously, Was that me? What had happened? How was I able to switch my mood so easily? Resolving to figure it out, I also wondered: Could this seeming miracle be turned into a method to pass along to others? I discovered that what had happened was a fundamental change in the kinds of questions I usually asked myself. The old me asked mostly worried questions, such as, "Does he like and approve of me?" and "What did I do wrong?" The new me had started operating out of calm, productive questions like, "How can I make this work? What can I learn?" and "Whatβs possible?" By changing the kinds of questions I asked, I changed my life. Until we develop the ability to cause the kind of change I experienced, we are at the mercy of other peopleβs opinions and the whims of our own moods. The ability to intentionally shift our internal questions puts us in charge of our own thoughts. This book shows you how to do that. Change Your Question, Change Your Life is the story of Ben Knight. He finds himself challenged, seemingly beyond his limits, in his new promotion to a highly responsible management position. Convinced he doesnβt have what it takes, he drafts his resignation. Thatβs when his CEO steps in and gives him a second chance by introducing him to Joseph Edwards, the inquiring coach. However, Benβs job isnβt his only problem. His marriage is also in trouble. In the pages ahead youβll follow Ben through the transformations he makes, both at work and at home.