Giving Compass' Take:

• Kris Putnam-Walkerly introduces three questions that philanthropists should not ask and explains the path to asking the right questions. 

• What questions are you asking to ensure your philanthropy will be strategic and impactful? 

• Check out these five key questions to shape your philanthropy roadmap. 

Knowing the wrong questions will help you ask the right ones.

Human lives are shaped by the questions people ask themselves. Asking a productive question can result in a path of impact and joy. A misguided question, on the contrary, can create a bumpy ride.

In philanthropy, as in life, wrong questions limit possibilities. Wrong questions restrict thinking, tangle people in tactics, force them to make impossible choices and increase their risk. Asking the wrong questions is, in fact, one manifestation of “delusional altruism.”

Delusional doesn’t mean crazy in this context. It means holding on to deceptive thoughts that hinder impact. It means letting illogical thoughts (or questions, in this case) get in the way. Operating with these delusions means it takes longer to make an impact.

Awareness, on the other hand, conquers delusion. Knowing the wrong questions helps philanthropists get to the right ones. Here are three of those wrong questions:

Wrong question: How?

The problem is that many philanthropists ask “How?” too quickly. They’ll ask, “How should we do this?” and they’ll generate myriad answers. Then they’ll rush into action to implement those answers. They think they’re being productive. However, asking “How?” too soon actually sends them down the wrong path.

Wrong question: What’s the best way?

This question stokes fear. People become paralyzed. They become afraid to toss around ideas because they might not be good enough. Ironically, this stunts thinking. It means some tactics will be identified, but probably not the best tactics.

Wrong question: Can we start right now?

Getting started with philanthropy efforts is imperative. After all, people’s lives may be at stake. But the problem with asking, “Can we start right now?” comes when risk hasn’t been evaluated.

Read the full article about three questions philanthropists should never ask by Kris Putnam-Walkerly at Forbes.