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Why ask why?

Emilii Dove
Emilii Dove
20 Oct 2021
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People ask questions when they want to understand or know more. The art of asking questions is vital in our everyday communications, it creates dialogues and builds relationships. I know I’ve annoyed some people by asking too many questions. But I also know, I’ve helped a lot of people by digging deeper and getting to the bottom of problems.

Doctors are now used to seeing patients who ask for very specific treatments and medications, because they’ve already consulted Dr Google. This is becoming the expectation, and it’s OK, because patients are taking responsibility for their own health. It is then the doctors’ responsibility to make the right recommendations by asking the right questions. Perhaps the patient was right in the first place, perhaps not.

Agency clients sometimes behave in a similar manner. And that, too, is expected and perfectly fine. Indeed, you may have a very clear idea of what you want from us. It is then our job to ask the right questions, and only then, can we offer you solutions that deliver and go the extra mile.

In my first client workshop at earthware, I got to witness this questioning in action. In this meeting, together with the client, we unearthed their ‘why’. Our approach of asking questions helped the client, and us, to understand the barriers, the needs and the opportunities. These outputs will later translate into deliverables with an impact.

When we plan your project, we ask a lot of other questions, too, such as ‘what’ and ‘how’. For me, ‘who’ is as important as ‘why’. One can't write compelling content without knowing the target audience. Often, ‘who’ is our healthcare heroes, but ultimately, it's always about the patient. The patient is also my personal ‘why’. Someone might say that's a cliché and an overused expression, but that doesn't mean it’s wrong. Everything we do, is always about the patient.

The earthware way suits me, because I’m always questioning things, it’s embedded in me. This is because by questioning, I know I can make things better or perhaps simply easier. When given a task, I don't just get on with it, I turn it around like a Rubik's cube until I find a solution. Admittedly, I can't solve the actual Rubik's cube, but I know there's a formula for that. There's also a formula for solving clients' problems, and it begins by asking why.

Rubix cube

So, I urge you to ask us questions, too. You could ask, why we do things the way we do, why there’s a specific step in our process or why content creation is our newest offering. After all, our partnership with you is a two-way communication, a space of mutual respect that’s built on trust and solving real-world healthcare problems.

Would you like me to ask you some questions? Or do you have questions for earthware's first in-house medical writer (that's me!) about content creation? If so do get in touch!

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