The QBQ! Podcast Why the Questions We Ask Matter (with Charles Alexander): A featured conversation from the Do More By Doing Less podcast
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Dec 24, 2025 John G. Miller, author of QBQ! and accountability trainer, shares how shifting questions from blame to action reshaped his work. He talks about QBQ origins, applying it to parenting, the three traps of victim thinking/blame/procrastination, and practical ways to ask better, more actionable questions that focus on changing yourself.
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Question Behind The Question Reframes Ownership
- QBQ reframes outward questions into personal ownership by asking the question behind the question to focus on what you can change.
- John G. Miller coined QBQ after hearing managers ask "When will someone train me?" and flipped it to "How can I develop myself?".
Replace Externalizing Questions With Action
- Avoid externalizing problems with "why" "who" and "when" questions; instead ask actionable QBQs like "What can I do to be my best today?".
- Examples: swap "Why don't customers call me back?" for "How can I be more creative in my approach to the market?".
Accountability Is Personal Not A Managerial Tool
- Common myths: accountability is something you do to others and it's primarily a group function.
- Miller insists accountability is intensely personal; teams succeed when individuals ask, "What can I do to support the team?".
