Question the Status Quo
Have you ever realized you've been following a rule that doesn't actually make sense? The social scientist in me loves these moments—they're everywhere once you start looking.
When the pandemic forced organizations into remote work, we collectively questioned one of the most entrenched workplace norms: that productivity requires physical presence. Since the pandemic forced us to question this standard and into new remote working options, the US Department of Labor Statistics found that remote work increased employee satisfaction, reduced turnover, and led to overall improvements in productivity across 61 industries.
We'd spent decades assuming that collaboration, innovation, and productivity depended on everyone sitting in the same building. Turns out, that assumption was wrong.
Why Questioning Matters in Healthcare and Science
In high-stakes environments, unexamined assumptions can be dangerous. Consider how many hospital protocols exist because "that's how we've always done it"—even when evidence suggests better approaches. Research teams may continue inefficient mentoring structures because no one thought to ask whether there's a better way.
The Berkeley Center for Executive Education identifies three traits essential for questioning the status quo: being observant, agile-minded, and courageous. These help us notice what's critical for a situation, what's not, and how to leverage multiple perspectives to drive change.
This is systematic thinking at work—identifying barriers in existing systems and redesigning them proactively rather than waiting for problems to emerge.
Organizational Culture Design Application
Think about curb cuts—designed for wheelchair users but beneficial for parents with strollers, cyclists, delivery workers, and the elderly. Nobody's path became harder when we added curb cuts; we simply designed streets that work better for everyone.
Your organizational systems can work the same way. When we question "Why do we do it this way?" we often discover opportunities to redesign processes that benefit everyone without creating new barriers.
Here's how to start:
Observe your daily work environment: Where are the inefficiencies? What barriers prevent people from contributing their best work? Which processes feel unnecessarily bureaucratic?
Choose one practice and ask: Why do we do it this way?
If the answer is "Because that's how it's done": That's your signal. Ask: What would make this work better for everyone?
Bring diverse perspectives: Innovation rarely happens in isolation. Who can help you brainstorm alternatives? Whose experience might reveal barriers you haven't noticed?
The Risk of Not Questioning
Unexamined systems perpetuate inequities. When we don't question why certain people succeed in our organizations while others struggle, we accept barriers as inevitable rather than seeing them as design flaws we can fix.
In healthcare, this might mean continuing communication protocols that work perfectly for native English speakers but create confusion for others. In research environments, it might mean maintaining scheduling practices that accommodate some family structures while excluding others.
The status quo always benefits someone. The question is: Are you intentionally designing systems that work for everyone, or are you accidentally designing them for only some people?
From Question to Action
Whether your revolution is small—like sending detailed meeting agendas ahead of time so everyone can prepare effectively—or large—like implementing flexible work arrangements that accommodate different needs—change starts with observation and curiosity.
This week, I challenge you to identify one workplace practice that exists because "that's how we do it." Then ask: Could we design this better?
The most powerful innovations in organizational culture don't come from accepting things as they are. They come from questioning whether the way we've always done it is actually the way it should be done.
Reflection Question: What's one process in your organization that everyone complains about but no one has questioned? What would you discover if you asked "Why do we do it this way?"