QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "It was a beautiful day in downtown Minneapolis when I stopped into a Rock Bottom restaurant for a quick lunch..." (more)
Key Phrases: practicing personal accountability, victim thinking, Home Depot, Diet Coke, Don't Ask (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

QBQ! by John G. Miller is a motivational primer aimed at purging the "blame, complaining, and procrastination" from the workplace. Miller believes that one of the hallmarks of today's business culture is a lack of personal accountability; he prescribes the cure in this series of short stories and personal observations drawn from his years of experience running his organizational development firm. His main point is that positive change begins with individuals changing themselves: "Instead of asking, 'When will others walk their talk?' let's walk our talk first." The result is choppy (39 chapters in 115 pages), and at times Miller's advice boils down to truism and cliché. Nevertheless, managers whose workplaces demand remedial, straightforward advice should find a useful tool here. --Harry C. Edwards --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

This is a quick but deep book that explores the role of personal accountability in one's work and personal life. In his own work experience, Miller found that many people look for others to blame their problems and conflicts on. He proposes that instead of asking who is to blame for the situation, we should ask, "What can I do to improve the situation?" Only by being able to ask this "question behind the question" can we take ownership of the problem and start working toward a solution. Throughout the book, Miller (who has consulted for major corporations with his firm, QBQ, Inc.) recounts real-world situations—in customer service, retail sales, personal relationships and the corporate boardroom—and the positive and not-so-positive ways they were handled. Each example reinforces the message that personal accountability and ownership of a problem not only leads to a resolution but also lifts people willing to take ownership and action above those looking to play the "blame game." From responsibility, says the author, comes leadership and greater career opportunities. In one's personal life, Miller says, ownership of conflict can also lead to enhanced relationships and greater enjoyment of daily life.
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Publishing Group; 1 edition (September 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399152334
• ISBN-13: 978-0399152337
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (208 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #883 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Small book, big impact, December 6, 2004

By	Meryl K. Evans "Content Maven behind meryl.net" (Plano, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After reading a few pages, I'm hooked. This book takes about an hour to read and has a lifelong impact. The title implies exploring other questions based on the original question. However, the real story is about personal accountability in work and life.

Rather than doing what comes naturally for many of us and becoming defensive and pointing fingers, the book changes your mode of thinking from "It's his fault" to "How can I fix this?" For example, in a restaurant, a diner is waiting for his waiter to come to the table. He catches the attention of a waiter who says, "This isn't my table" and walks off. The diner can only hope the waiter went to alert the person who is responsible for his table.

A waiter who uses QBQ thinking would help the diner rather than dodging the table just because it's not his table. Such action has positive results on both the waiter and the customer.

In another story, a cashier pays for the customer's under $3 purchase as her register didn't have enough to provide change. This action resulted in the store getting 100 percent of the customer's business.

The book grabbed me and I applied QBQ thinking the day after reading it. It feels much better to take the QBQ route instead of responding defensively. Check the QBQ site for more examples and details (http://www.qbq.com).

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great simple book with high impact, August 18, 2005

By	T SANTOSO (Surabaya, Jatim Indonesia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book was recommended to me by a new friend Rini from BP, and i love it. I read it just in a two hours flight ( i am not a fast reader!), finishing it right when the plane landed, and i kind of feel very motivated and enpowered!

In the simple similar tradition of One Minute Manager, Fish, and other simple to read business book, this one has one great idea about how we should ask questions.

In a nutshell:
1. Begin with "WHAT" or "HOW", and not "Why", "When, or "Who".
2. Contain an "I"
3. Focus on Action.

So, instead of: " When are we going to be more competitive?", use: " What can i do today to be more effective?".
Or, instead of " Who will care as much as I do?", use "How can I communicate better?"

QBQ is a simple powerful technique that will improve the way you see life. John Miller has a whole organisation build into training it.

Even that the way they write is way different, i would like to compare the idea of QBQ as such similar power with One Minute Manager. It's easy to teach, easy to implement, and have great return if people start using it.

So, for 2 hours easy reading that might change your life for the better, you have nothing to lose, get a copy.

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ask the best questions to invite the best solutions, August 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability in Work and in Life (Paperback)

The quality of the questions we ask determines the quality of our results. If we ask mediocre questions we invite mediocre solutions and if we ask extraordinary questions, we invite extraordinary solutions. This book asks good questions, but the questions are supoptimal. ie they leave room for unexplored alternatives and do not lead us directly to the best solution.

The best book on the market on this topic is Optimal Thinking by Rosalene Glickman, Ph.D., where the reader is provided with relevant Optimal questions, and learns how to formulate and ask the best questions to invite the best possible solutions.