One of the elements of a truly engaged workplace is the asking of questions. The fact is that most people are afraid to ask questions; whatever natural curiosity we had as children tends to get discouraged in most large organizations. Leaders assume following the status quo is the right way to go and are not interested in trying to challenge anything, especially if it seems on the surface to be going along just fine. And the lower-level employees just try to do what’s asked of them and stay out of trouble—believing that people who ask questions may be sticking their necks out.
Getting people to ask questions requires effort and energy. It means changing what may have been part of a process for years. Change is almost always very hard. Questioning actually means choosing the path of resistance, instead of the path of least resistance. But when people get into the habit and realize they won’t get their heads chopped off for asking questions–that in fact their questions will be welcomed–everything gets better.
Dispatches From The Front 