Disrupt

6/3/2018

‘A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here?’ (Google)

I searched Google recently for ‘weird interview questions’ and, among others, the vivid, sombrero-donned penguin example flashed up onto my screen. It was definitely my favourite. I mean…who would think to ask that question never mind try to answer it?

Its brilliance lays in its strange unexpectedness, zany imagery and sheer randomness. It’s a fantastic example of lateral thinking, a provocative-evocative approach designed to disrupt ordinary thinking, routines and expectations. A person’s response to such questions can reveal their personal and cultural assumptions, projections, imaginative-creative skills – and sense of humour! It can also stimulate fresh energy, insights and ideas.

The jolts we experience mentally, emotionally and physically when we encounter such questions, especially if they come out of the blue…or red…or yellow…or any other colour that may appeal to or disturb us…can feel like, all of a sudden, riding a rollercoaster at breakneck speed with no seatbelt on – like being catapulted, confused, into strange and unusual worlds. Think Jesus and parables, Zen and koans or, if you prefer, Alice and Wonderland.

Leandro Herrero (Disruptive Ideas: 10+10+10=1000, 2008) proposes that the impact of a few simple, such disruptive ideas can be like dynamite. They are likely to be controversial and counterintuitive, risk being ridiculed or dismissed – and yet are disproportionate in their ‘potential to impact on and transform the lives of (people and) organisations.’ Sometimes small things really are big.

Where have you seen or experienced simple questions, ideas or actions create earth-shaking movement?

129 Comments

Martine Bolton

6/3/2018 03:07:57 pm

Brilliant! Never underestimate the power of the "If you were a biscuit, what kind of biscuit would you be, and why?" question! On a more serious note though, I love the question "What do you really want?" for helping people identify what's underlying the thing(s) they say they want.

Nick Wright

6/3/2018 03:08:59 pm

Thanks Martine. What would your answer be to the biscuit question..?

Cassie Sim

7/3/2018 08:28:21 am

What you share is thought provoking. What you say helps me think deeper out of the mundane! Thanks Nick.

7/3/2018 08:28:58 am

That's great. Thanks Cassie!

Daniela Vellini

7/3/2018 11:05:41 am

What's your life's blueprint? - MLK :-)

7/3/2018 11:07:22 am

Hi Daniela. Yes, MLK certainly had a big impact in my life too. :)

Gareth Russell

7/3/2018 11:14:36 am

'Who told you that?'

Inspired by your post Nick, I've elected to share this question... as it's one of the simplest and most powerful questions I ask coaching clients.

This question gets right at the heart of the beliefs we hold. Often, our beliefs come from things we've simply told ourselves enough that we accept them as fact.

I've seen countless clients come completely unstuck when asked 'who told you that?'. And from there they become free to make a shift... to get curious about why they've been prepared to accept that as a fact, and what might be possible if they were to create a new, affirmative belief instead.

7/3/2018 11:16:22 am

Thanks Gareth. It's a good question. It relates to another powerful question in my experience: 'What assumptions are you making..?'

7/3/2018 12:20:16 pm

I help leaders and their teams separate the signal from the noise. Clear thinking, presence and lasting impact
Great share, Nick. I've been on the receiving end of that one too so can attest to its power!

7/3/2018 12:20:49 pm

'Separate the signal from the noise.' I like that!

Howard B. Esbin, PhD

7/3/2018 02:20:47 pm

"Make strange the familiar and make familiar the strange."

7/3/2018 02:24:01 pm

Hi Howard. Do you have any examples? You may find this related short piece interesting: http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/dissonance

Enrique Fiallo

8/3/2018 09:26:57 am

Brilliant.

8/3/2018 09:27:21 am

Thanks Enrique. :)

Nick Heap

8/3/2018 09:28:12 am

"If you had three wishes, what would you use them for"? This always gets people thinking deeply, so allow silence and time. It works when coaching, consulting, selling or just making friends. If YOU had three wishes, what would you use them for?

8/3/2018 09:32:41 am

Hi Nick. What a great question! It reminds me of the 'miracle question' in solutions-focused coaching.

8/3/2018 06:33:30 pm

Thanks, Nick! It's not my question, I came across it through Appreciative Inquiry. The penguin says "What are you going to do about Global Warming? All I can do is wear this silly Sombrero to keep the Sun off me!" She wants to tease Google into action. The most shocking and disruptive question I have ever been asked was "Why do people love you?" That is a corker.

8/3/2018 06:36:52 pm

Hi Nick. What a great response to the penguin question. :) 'Why do people love you?' is a good question. Another that ups the challenge could be something like, 'Why do some people find it so hard to love you?'

Betty Nerney

8/3/2018 06:38:33 pm

Love this.

8/3/2018 06:39:53 pm

Thanks Betty!

Tom Oliver

8/3/2018 06:41:37 pm

Ole Sister! Ive been to the beach in Brazil and the food isnt much but the dancing is a thrill.

8/3/2018 06:47:33 pm

Hi Tom. Could be fun to play with metaphors of food and dancing..?!

Pamela Byrd

8/3/2018 08:37:11 pm

That's funny. I can't say I've experienced such a disruptive question, but I have expereinced (through observation) where a coach will ask, "Where's your energy right now? Let's stop for a moment and breathe." If that were the type of coach I was looking for, I would want to know up front that that's what they do. That would definitely throw me off if I were asked that type of question. You really have to understand your client to know what type of questions to ask to get them to delve deeper. I don't know...maybe this client likes penguins???

8/3/2018 08:51:03 pm

Hi Pamela. I read a great blog today by Richard Marshall, a good friend and insightful coaching colleague, who comments how important 'timing, tone and trust' are when posing questions in coaching. In other words, the same questions can have different impacts in different contexts, relationships etc. I agree with you, therefore, about the importance of contracting explicitly. By far the most positively disruptive experiences I have had in coaching, whether as coach or client, have been when using Gestalt. Here's a case study example in case of interest: http://www.nick-wright.com/just-do-it.html

Pete Mosley

8/3/2018 11:01:10 pm

Thanks Nick - really great case study.

8/3/2018 11:01:39 pm

Thanks for your encouraging feedback, Pete.

Sven Mahr

10/3/2018 09:25:56 am

He is here because he walked through the door. If he could speak, he would probably say “where is the tequila?”. But penguins don’t talk.

10/3/2018 09:26:53 am

Hi Sven. Here's a counter-question: 'How can we be sure penguins don't talk?'

James Taylor

10/3/2018 09:28:49 am

The question sounds zany, but it is relevant. The penguin is you. Your audience sees you as the new thing, the one that stands out, even if you are in the same grey suit everybody else is. So the question is- "what are you going to say on your first day, when you stick out like a sore thumb. What a great incoming CEO question. Shows thoughtfulness and intuition without asking the direct- "how badly are you going to shake things up when we bring you on..."

10/3/2018 09:31:08 am

Hi James. A fascinating possibility for who or what the penguin could represent...and a great demonstration of the power of imagination!

Dino Ragazzo

11/3/2018 10:01:22 am

I guess the penguin might say : "i want my polar ice back!"

11/3/2018 10:06:17 am

Hi Dino. What a great response! So - a question - what could your response say about you...(if this were an interview)...e.g. in terms of what you notice, what you value, what you are aware of etc?

12/3/2018 04:13:17 pm

Thank you Nick.
Very helpful to help raise awareness about what I stand for.

12/3/2018 04:14:14 pm

Thanks Dino. You're welcome.

Linda Randazzo

11/3/2018 10:07:29 am

What is it that you really want me to know about you?

11/3/2018 09:49:21 pm

Hi Linda. I heard a similar-but-different question posed at a Gestalt workshop: 'What are you most anxious I should not know about you?'

Dr. Aqeel Israr

11/3/2018 10:09:29 am

Ola amigos. I'm Linux. Where's the party at.

11/3/2018 10:11:15 am

Hi Aqeel. That's certainly one possibility!

Quentin Fogg

11/3/2018 10:12:20 am

Hi. The concept sounds innovative but I would query the validity of such questions on decisions about people. It's way up there with projective techniques, which are in them selves controversial, not only from the technique's perspective but also the ability of those who dare to use and interpret them.

11/3/2018 10:13:50 am

Hi Quentin. Yes - I agree, if that is how the question was used. On the other hand, it could open interesting and stimulating conversation..?

Dr Cathryn Lloyd

11/3/2018 10:15:00 am

Like the thread of this conversation - let me mull over it a little more.

11/3/2018 10:16:16 am

Hi Cathryn. I'm intrigued. Do you mean this conversation...or that that is something the penguin might say?

Anita Randon

11/3/2018 12:32:22 pm

Nick, great qu. and great case study, thank you. Am mindful that I've not invested in refreshing by coaching frames of reference (or my own coaching) for a while, great inspiration here, thank you.

11/3/2018 09:51:04 pm

Hi Anita. Thanks for such an honest and encouraging response!

Gavin Treacy

11/3/2018 09:52:25 pm

Great read. Pinching this.

11/3/2018 09:53:03 pm

Thanks Gavin! :)

Bob Leon

11/3/2018 09:54:24 pm

Love the penguin question but I’m going to avoid the “tell me something you wouldn’t want me to know “ there’s disruption and then there’s forcing someone to expose something they obviously don’t want to.

11/3/2018 09:55:17 pm

Thanks Bob. Yes, there's a fine line between challenge and intrusion. That's where contracting with the client is so important.

Geoffrey Turner

11/3/2018 09:56:13 pm

Which way to Mexico?

11/3/2018 09:56:57 pm

Hi Geoffrey. Yes, that's one possible response...

Ron Strieker

11/3/2018 09:58:05 pm

Are you a disruptive coach? Interesting question and I hope so. Changing habits that are no longer working need to be disrupted and I hope in all my years doing this that the disruptions have been helpful. Praise to the coaches who are comfortable in this process of change and moving your clients forward to healthy productive habits and patterns. Thanks for the question.

11/3/2018 10:02:21 pm

Thanks Ron. Perhaps we could coin a new phrase for coaching: 'constructive disruption'. What do you think?

Madeline McQueen

12/3/2018 11:51:15 am

If feel that our job as coaches is to disrupt thinking so that clients can access new ways of thinking and doing things so that they can achieve their goals. Not sure that I would ask the penguin question but I always aim to ask questions that truly make my clients stop, think, and search for answers that they have not allowed themselves to freely consider before.

12/3/2018 11:54:05 am

Hi Madeline. Yes, I often think of the coach as, in some ways, enabling the client to loosen the metaphorical soil of their ground-thought to allow fresh shoots of insight and possibility to emerge.

P.J Léonard

12/3/2018 11:55:04 am

Describe the taste of chocolate as a color! Yes Indeed a question asked that had me thinking, and still does.

12/3/2018 11:56:17 am

Hi P.J What a great question! So - I'm intrigued...what colour is the taste of chocolate for you? :)

Ryan Barretto

12/3/2018 11:57:24 am

I'm not keen on using the penguin question - there's no objective way of assessing the answer. Even if the answer is creative and humorous, how relevant is this to the job in question, unless you are assessing a comedian or playwright / copywriter who has to write funny stuff.

12/3/2018 11:58:51 am

Hi Ray. ...and therein lies the mystery and potential of lateral vs linear thinking..?

Rosemary Armstrong

12/3/2018 05:29:45 pm

So what would you say?😂

12/3/2018 05:31:03 pm

Hi Rosemary. That would be telling... ;)

Joshua Miller

12/3/2018 06:18:50 pm

Answer: What? It’s Taco Tuesday in the cafeteria!

12/3/2018 06:19:18 pm

Hi Joshua. Yes - that's possible..!

Jasmine Farnsworth

13/3/2018 09:31:28 am

Love the penguin, but LOVE the chocolate question! So many fun ways to unpack the response.
I’m a huge fan of using visuals to move people into a more creative space. A modified version of Visual Explorer would be really fun in an interview!

13/3/2018 09:33:47 am

Thanks Jasmine! I'm intrigued...any ideas you could share on how you might use creative visual techniques in an interview..?

Ronen Ben-Naftali

13/3/2018 09:35:23 am

Excellent!

13/3/2018 09:35:42 am

Thanks Ronen. :)

Olivier Winghart

13/3/2018 11:41:53 am

It reminds me of one of my best teachers talking about the right level of weirdness index as a process consultant...

13/3/2018 11:43:31 am

Hi Olivier. I love the idea of a 'weirdness index'! :) You may find this related short piece interesting? http://www.nick-wright.com/blog/everybodys-weird

Joëlle Gartner

13/3/2018 06:48:56 pm

I heard this said by Sean Gaffney quoting Ed Nevis... a long line a good teachers...

13/3/2018 06:51:16 pm

Hi Joëlle. I'm curious - which part did you hear said by Sean Gaffney quoting Ed Nevis? On Nevis, you may find this short piece interesting? http://www.nick-wright.com/leadership-as-a-relational-dynamic.html

Pete Davies

13/3/2018 11:03:10 pm

“......always expect the unexpected...” 😀

13/3/2018 11:04:08 pm

Hi Peter. Now there's a paradox... :)

Denise Fekete

13/3/2018 11:04:56 pm

I have actually used that question. When interviewing I include my team. Their input is invaluable! My team is gregarious and very cohesive. They all have an amazing sense of humour as well. This type of question makes the process fun for us too!
This question does a few things.
1) Sets a relaxed tone. We want to get to know the person.
2) It allows us to see if they can think on their feet. Our team works on constant surprise and disruption so that is important.
Expect the unexpected!
3) Team fit is important!
The formal interview process has a place however, it does not mean the process has to be uncomfortable!

13/3/2018 11:06:39 pm

Hi Denise. Those all sound like good reasons to use something like the penguin approach!

14/3/2018 06:46:57 am

Jennifer Long

13/3/2018 11:07:43 pm

Love it! And I want a frozen margarita! Thanks!

13/3/2018 11:08:13 pm

Thanks Jennifer. Now there's a novel idea..!

Jim Smith

14/3/2018 06:48:17 am

Senor, I'd like to trade this stupid hat for some ice.

14/3/2018 06:48:41 am

Hi Jim. Profound!

Souad Bahrouch

14/3/2018 11:07:46 am

Nothing to lose, just try and expect.

14/3/2018 11:08:29 am

Hi Souad. That sounds like a very free-ing philosophy.

Joe Cimbak

15/3/2018 08:36:16 am

I have always called these “Million Dollar Questions”. I believe I can credit Ron Gager of Boulder, CO for having said that first that I remember. A Million Dollar Question is like a focusing lens. In fact some people have called these Focusing Questions. When I design critical agendas I always start with Objectives and as I think through the pathway of thinking I want the group to go through, I always work hard on a Million Dollar Question that will be the basis of thinking and discussion. It’s not that hard really. You just have to quit working and perspiring and start thinking strategically. Often the “buzz” of work prevents strategic thinking. Advice? Any time you bring key people together - slow down - think strategically - think outcomes and seek critical Focusing Questions.

15/3/2018 08:49:37 am

Hi Joe. I agree that focusing is important and, at times, critical. At the same time, we sometimes need to actively disrupt our focus. We can become so focused, so transfixed that we find ourselves unable to see or construe a wider picture or alternatives. I think that's where creative lateral thinking can be incredibly useful. Simple - but not always easy.

Charles Fuller III

15/3/2018 08:51:05 am

By Trump. It's his business/governing style. I don't support it as a 'style' or mode of practice but...
if well done (like any t e c n i q u e ) may have utility...i.e. a stiff, blocky meeting, or 1:1 situation. Kept as another tool (not strategy) in the back of the mind and used on a limited basis, possibly of use.
Thank you for this entry AND the opportunity to comment,

15/3/2018 08:52:27 am

Thanks Charles. Yes, Trump is certainly disrupting many political and diplomatic norms..!

Heike Graf

15/3/2018 11:35:10 am

A simple and effective question to "stop" people in their routine of telling something would be as well: "tell me something, that you don't know". And by the way, what does "Hi Souad" mean? This puzzles me ;)

15/3/2018 11:36:43 am

Hi Heike. 'Tell me something that you don't know' is such a great Gestalt-type question, as is, 'What are we not talking about?' I'm curious: which part of 'Hi Souad' puzzles you..?

16/3/2018 10:38:27 am

Yes, thanks for the "what are we not talking about" question. Now that I have it on my mind I know also where to use it :) Hi, hi, the online dictionary do not know the word 'souad'. As it is used in combination with 'Hi' I suppose it is a kind of salutation. I never heard of it before ;)

16/3/2018 10:39:12 am

Hi Heike. 'Souad' is the name of the person I was responding to (above).

Monica O'Brien

18/3/2018 01:20:02 pm

So true! Last week with a client I asked ‘What will it take for you to stop doing that? She broke down and replied, ‘Answering that question truthfully.’

18/3/2018 01:20:36 pm

Hi Monica. Profound!!

Charlie Lang

18/3/2018 10:44:53 pm

Nice article and good reminder to be more often disruptive - I'm fully bought into it as long as it's not for the sake of being disruptive...:)

One of my favourite disruptive questions is "When did you decide that" in response to the coachee stating a self-limiting belief. For example, coachee says: "You know I'm never going to be a good public speaker, it's just not me." Asking that question in response is disruptive and meaningful as it gets them to go back to a time when this 'decision' was formulated. Revisiting that and making it aware often leads to the realisation that this belief is not really founded in strong evidence. That's when we can take the coachee forward...

18/3/2018 10:55:57 pm

Hi Charlie. 'When did you decide that?' sounds like a good question. It reminds me of scripts in Transactional Analysis. Are you familiar with it? Another way of exploring limiting beliefs, drawing on Gestalt, can be to create a polarity with the client...e.g. using different ends of the room to represent different extremes of the belief...then walking back and forth along the continuum with the client, inviting them to enact the extremes...and then inviting them to reflect on how they feel at different points along the continuum and to move, physically, to where they want to be.

19/3/2018 10:12:05 am

With clients who are upset with a particular situation, I've asked "what will you do when you are finished being sad and upset?". I reiterate that I'm not asking for a deadline. I've found this, along with other followup questions, gets them to think about what to do next, instead of getting mired in the misery.

19/3/2018 10:13:19 am

Hi Ryan. That sounds a lot like the 'miracle question' in solutions-focused coaching. Are you familiar with it?

Marina Mazzetto

20/3/2018 01:41:56 pm

Really love it! It's simple and incredbly strong at the very same time! Now, I'm curios, what would be your answer, Nick: A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here?

20/3/2018 01:42:26 pm

Thanks Marina. You first..! :)

Nathaniel Dunn

22/3/2018 12:58:56 pm

This is brilliant. A really good question can change someone's life. This one is a bit of a curve ball though!

22/3/2018 12:59:26 pm

Thanks Nathaniel - and I agree! :)

Chelle Verite

24/3/2018 10:14:52 am

If you were a biscuit, what biscuit would you be and why?

24/3/2018 10:18:56 am

Hi Chelle. And your answer is..?

Chris Broom

24/3/2018 10:19:35 am

I was once asked in an interview 'In your current role, what would you be sacked for not doing?'

24/3/2018 10:20:02 am

Hi Chris. Interesting question!

Lisa Lambeth

24/3/2018 10:20:59 am

Denise, I'm with you. I use the penguin question (and others of that type)in my interviews workshops all the time. Taking it one step further, I encourage workshop participants to try to frame their response in terms of the type of work they are looking for. Perhaps they are an environmental scientist and frame it up in terms of global warming. Or perhaps they are a facilitator and use it as an opprtunity to respond in a fun, creative way about how they're there to get the party started!

Nick, I love the chocolate question! Thank you for sharing it. I will be adding it to my bag of tricks immediately!

24/3/2018 02:19:35 pm

Thanks Lisa. That's an interesting approach... to invite the respondents to frame their responses in relation to the work they are looking for.

Dave Bergman

24/3/2018 02:22:11 pm

The penguin walks in looking for someone to practice the Mexican Hat Dance with and asks "¿Te gustaría bailar?"

24/3/2018 02:22:40 pm

Hi Dave. All things are possible..! :)

Kathryn Pollington

24/3/2018 03:02:16 pm

Thought provoking!

24/3/2018 03:02:48 pm

Thanks Kathryn!

Shirine Vincent

28/3/2018 07:38:05 pm

I fear I am about to be a kill-joy, but I just wouldn't know how to evaluate the answers I was given. I am not qualified or able to assess values or assumptions from a response to such a question. Normally, my interviews don't last more than an hour and in that time I want to validate the candidate's CV, test their knowledge, experience, drive, motivation, aspirations, relationships with their boss, colleagues and other stakeholders, find out what they have achieved and what they value, understand the processes they use, establish if they have met their targets, if they can ask for help, own up to mistakes, contribute to the success of their team and so on. If I wanted to test their creativity, sense-of-humour or ability to think on their feet (and I would only want to test these things if relevant to the role for which I am hiring), I may design a case study or skills test.

28/3/2018 07:54:47 pm

Hi Shirine. I think that's a fair challenge. Two things occur to me. Firstly, the notion of a need to assess and evaluate the response raises interesting questions. For instance, how necessary is it to assess the response and whose assessment of it is most important? Secondly, the range of methods you listed sound quite linear-rational rather than lateral-intuitive. Is there scope for the latter approach too?

3/4/2018 12:56:53 pm

Hi Nick, thanks for your reply. There may well be scope for the latter approach for some particular roles, although I would still tend to cover that in skills testing rather than an interview. Thank you for starting this interesting discussion.

Vicky Ross

31/3/2018 04:26:07 pm

Good question Nick.

31/3/2018 04:26:28 pm

Thanks Vicky.

Roland Fuchs

2/4/2018 01:27:52 pm

Disruption does not equal learning. Disruption equals, well, disruption.

2/4/2018 01:28:27 pm

Hi Roland. What a great example of a positively 'disruptive' intervention! :)

James Briscall

4/4/2018 02:25:53 pm

The penguin is asking:- 'where did i put my sunscreen?' I guess many of the world's most impactful 'inventions' come from a simple premise that in itself is highly disruptive; which then creates an earth shattering movement:- light bulb; motor car; internet; iphone; blockchain; tesla. Often that simplicity disguises complexity though.

4/4/2018 02:27:32 pm

Hi James. Yes, innovation often comes through profound and often unexpected disruption of conventional thinking and practice.

Glenn Travers

6/4/2018 10:18:47 am

I do like this sort of question. I would use it in a training environment, maybe as a warmer. I certainly have used questions like, if you were a colour which would you be and why. Creative thinking and having to back it up with some kind of logic is great fun.

6/4/2018 10:20:34 am

Hi Glenn. Yes, it's amazing how much fun, energy and fresh insight this kind of creative approach can release - depending of course on the context, relationship and mood in the group at the time!

9/4/2018 11:31:30 am

Yes Nick, you certainly have to pick your times.

Daniel J Knight

9/4/2018 11:32:01 am

The humor of it helps too.

9/4/2018 11:33:19 am

Hi Daniel. Yes, if people enjoy the humour, it can help them relax...and that, along with engendering a spirit of curiosity, often brings out great creativity.

Bogdan Grigore

9/4/2018 11:33:58 am

What would you ask a fortuneteller? There are a set of 80 disruptive questions like this called “Big Talk”. I use them in trainings and workshop to make the participants open, communicate and connect with each other.

9/4/2018 11:46:04 am

Hi Bogdan. Do you know if the list of '80 disruptive questions' is available online and, if so, do you have a link?

Andree Funnell

13/4/2018 09:32:04 am

I like the concept of these questions to draw out the creative thinking and cultural ideals in an individual. I would use this as an icebreaker or can see that it would link nicely into an emotional intelligence or creative thinking type of course. As an ex HR Manager I would not necessarily use it for interviews unless the culture of the company is very creative and open or the job itself requires out of the box thinking. If you have a link to some of these questions that would be great.

13/4/2018 09:37:53 am

Thanks Andree. I simply Googled 'Weird interview questions' and there were lots of links and examples, for instance:

https://www.themuse.com/advice/13-crazy-interview-questions-that-awesome-companies-will-actually-ask-you

https://www.thebalance.com/top-weird-interview-questions-2059482

https://www.careeraddict.com/weird-interview-questions

Michelle Collins

17/4/2018 10:44:28 am

I love this way of looking at disruptors, thank you for sharing! Sometimes those crazy ideas are the ones that transform the world.

17/4/2018 10:44:56 am

Thanks Michelle. Yes - I agree!

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