Question Four: a key question in uncertain times

Many leaders are under pressure right now. Constant shifts in the geopolitical landscape are creating high levels of uncertainty and, in many industries, plans made previously are rapidly becoming irrelevant. It’s what military leaders would call a ‘Question Four moment’, the point in mission analysis when a team pauses and asks, “What has changed?”.

In the military, “What has changed?” is asked repeatedly throughout an operation to ensure alignment with the evolving reality on the ground. It prompts leaders to reassess assumptions, identify emerging threats, and recognise new opportunities. For business leaders, Question Four becomes a lens for scanning the environment and challenging outdated thinking.

The plan is nothing; planning is everything

When everything around us is changing constantly, the worst thing we can do is doggedly stick to our original plan. Even if the vision remains the same, how we achieve it will need to change. Leaders’ attention must be on planning (the process of revising our plan), not the plan itself.

By regularly asking “What has changed?”, leaders can create a feedback loop that keeps their plan dynamic. Question Four does more than update a situational report though: it provides a frequent opportunity for honest reflection, which in turn builds psychological safety within a team.

Scoping out the scale of change

The beauty of Question Four is that it can be used on both a macro and a micro level. Ask five different colleagues “What has changed?” and you’ll probably get five different answers. Leaders can scope out the scale of the shifts by asking various departments or teams the same question in relation to their specific area of expertise.

One of the hardest things in a fast-changing environment is establishing which changes are important and significant, and which are fleeting and minor. By focusing in on “What has changed?” leaders can establish how much is just ‘noise’, which changes are a ‘speed bump’ and which might be an ‘impassable obstacle’.

Tools of the trade

In the course of using Question Four, leaders may find that other tools such as Mid Action Review (MAR) and After Action Review (AAR) help them and their teams to delve a little deeper into the problems and opportunities they’re experiencing.

The military is adept at using such processes to enable fast learning and adaptation in the field and in our Rapid Action Learning division we show clients how to employ them in their everyday operations to enhance their ability to deal with challenges.

Just the act of pausing to reflect, even if only for an hour or two to conduct a quick MAR or AAR, is in itself valuable. Regardless of the speed of change happening around them, leaders must remain calm and measured in their response. Taking a moment to think and evaluate will always save time later.

In a VUCA world, it’s almost inevitable that mistakes will be made, but the key is to learn from errors rather than pretending they haven’t happened. MAR and AAR create a blame-free environment for discussion and result in practical, actionable learnings which can be applied immediately.

As the global environment grows more volatile, the ability to keep pace with change becomes a leadership imperative. By asking the right questions and listening carefully, leaders can retain clarity and support their team in remaining focused, agile and resilient. And if you need our support, please get in touch to find out more about our Rapid Action Learning and leadership development programmes.