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A stupid question?

Image by Benzoic on Magnifi.com

During our mediation training course, I usually find myself saying “there’s no such thing as a stupid question”. The aim is to provide a safe space for questions and thoughts, helping people work through the complexities of mediation and build their understanding. For me, however, it has a deeper resonance.

In my first career, in distribution, I was in charge of a team of stockhandlers testing a new computer system. Having assembled the team of four, and given them the overall plan, I opened the floor to questions. One of them – a guy called Paul – said something like “I know this may seem a stupid question but….” and went on to ask why our warehouse handled stock differently when it came back from a store. I saw several faces smirk or scoff, but I felt it was an important question so started answering it. As I answered it, I quickly realised that the full answer was more complex than any one of us had thought. The answer included: stock control, manufacturer penalties and payment, stock reallocation and a whole lot more. By the time I finished, I realised that we had all learnt something about stock returns that day, including myself. But I had learnt something more, that what often may sound to one person a stupid question, can unlock a greater understanding for everyone – sometimes including the trainer/leader. That was thirty years ago this year and I still remember the lesson I learnt.

So if you want to join us on a future course and learn new skills in handling conflict better or become a mediator, contact us and – here is my challenge – ask us a question, I promise it won’t be stupid!