"What do former members say about the organization?" - Ken Woodward

Ten years ago today, I asked a question on my daily practice, IOTD365: what do former members say about an organization? I wrote it after my daughter gave up on an internship. One conversation in a hallway with a senior who'd done it was all it took.

In 2016 I read that question as an insider asking leaders to listen. Today I read it as a former member who left federal service after thirty-two years without anyone asking what I knew. I also read it as a founder who can't hear what's said after I leave the room.

In this episode, I reread the original post and question the man who wrote it. I look at where reputation really lives and the courage it takes to tell someone the truth. Then I borrow a habit from my years navigating submarines in and out of port. Taking a fix on an old question shows how far I've moved.

What question did you answer years ago that deserves a second look?

This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.

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Keep questioning!

"We vote with our labor for the world we want to create. If you don't reflect on what you're doing, how do you know you're casting the right vote?" - Radhika Dutt

In this episode of Curated Questions, host Ken Woodward engages entrepreneur and author Radhika Dutt in a profound exploration of how questions can transform organizations from goal-driven to puzzle-solving entities. Radhika is the author of "Radical Product Thinking" and shares her journey from MIT to becoming a serial entrepreneur to developing the puzzle-based leadership OHLA framework (Objectives, Hypotheses, Learnings, Adaptations).

The conversation reveals how traditional goal-setting, rooted in 1940s assembly-line thinking, fails in today's complex environment, where creative problem-solving matters more than repetitive execution.

Radhika demonstrates through a live experiment how "puzzles" energize while "goals" burden, explaining that puzzles tap into internal motivation rather than external pressure. She emphasizes the critical importance of reflection, a practice she credits with enabling better decision-making both personally and professionally.

Drawing from her nine languages and global experience, including living in post-apartheid South Africa, Radhika offers insights on creating psychological safety for questions across cultures. The episode culminates with practical guidance on implementing puzzle-based thinking in organizations, showing how asking better questions leads to ownership, engagement, and transformative results.

This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com.

Keep questioning!

#103 Ken Woodward: The People Who Leave Get the Last Word: Revisiting a Question Ten Years Later

#60 Radhika Dutt: From Goals to Puzzles: How Questions Outperform OKRs in Real Teams!