Asking good questions is a critical life skill. Effective questioning unlocks understanding, gathers insights, solves problems, and deepens relationships. Learn techniques to significantly improve the quality of your questions.
Why Questions Matter
Questions reveal and direct our thinking As management guru Peter Drucker said “The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said” The questions we ask often have more impact than the answers we give.
Strong inquiry skills help you:
- Understand situations more clearly
- Uncover and challenge assumptions
- Inspire fresh ideas and new solutions
- Connect more genuinely with people
- Guide conversations productively
Asking better questions requires awareness and effort, but the payoffs make it worthwhile Keep reading for tips to enhance your questioning abilities.
Types of Questions
Open and closed questions serve different purposes:
Closed questions seek specific facts or precise responses. They begin with verbs like “Do Is Are, Was, Has” and tend to elicit yes/no answers.
Examples:
- Is your deadline August 15?
- Were you at the meeting?
- Has the report been finished?
Open questions invite broader, more descriptive responses. They often start with “What, Why, How” and cannot be answered with just one or two words.
Examples:
- What are your priorities for this project?
- How did you feel when she said that to you?
- Why do you think sales have declined?
Open questions stimulate reflective, substantive answers to gather meaningful information.
Best Practices for Asking Questions
Follow these guidelines to strengthen your questioning skills:
Ask One Question at a Time
Resist asking multiple questions at once. That fragments the other person’s thinking and makes it hard to respond clearly. Keep your questions simple and focused.
Use Short Questions
Long, complex questions are easily misunderstood or forgotten halfway through. Keep your questions concise, direct and accessible.
Let Silence Do Its Work
Don’t be afraid of pauses after asking a question. Give the person time to reflect before responding. Silence creates mental space to find more insightful answers.
Favor Open-Ended Questions
Closed questions that can be answered with “yes” or “no” will shut down conversation. Open questions like “What influenced your decision?” reveal deeper thinking.
Avoid “Why” Questions
“Why” questions can sound accusatory. Use “What” instead to explore reasons more neutrally. “How” is useful for inquiring about process and emotions.
Vary Question Funnels
Narrow funnels (e.g. city > street > house number) or broad funnels (e.g. mammal > felines > house cat) have their place. Mix it up.
Weigh the Pros and Cons
Ask people to compare positives and negatives: “What do you see as the benefits and drawbacks of this approach?”
Make It Experiential
Evocative questions spark emotions and associations: “When you heard the news, what images came to mind?”
Questioning for Problem Solving
Certain frameworks can stimulate creative problem solving:
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“How could we reframe or define this problem differently?”
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“What factors may not be fully considered?”
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“Who cares about this, and why?”
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“What’s standing in the way of a solution?”
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“What small step could we take right now?”
Using Questions to Connect
Thoughtful questions strengthen professional and personal relationships.
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Ask about interests: “What do you enjoy doing outside of work?”
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Inquire about perspectives: “What’s your take on the new policy?”
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Encourage unfolding: “What happened next?”
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Explore meanings: “What does that success mean to you?”
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Discover sources: “What/who inspires you?”
Improving Listening Through Inquiry
Attentive, patient listening makes your questioning more impactful. Ways to listen better:
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Maintain eye contact and positive body language.
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Withhold judgment and resist forming rebuttals while they speak.
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Ask for clarification instead of making assumptions.
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Paraphrase their responses to confirm understanding.
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Allow silence between responses to absorb what was said.
Final Tips for Asking Better Questions
Here are a few additional pointers:
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Vary question types and topics to get well-rounded information.
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Remember great questions can have simple answers. Avoid over-complicating.
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Ask follow-up questions to uncover deeper layers of insights.
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Make inquiries relevant to the person, situation and objectives.
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For sensitive topics, frame questions with care and positivity.
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Use questions to steer conversations in more constructive directions.
Continue Your Questioning Journey
The quality of your questions directly shapes the quality of the knowledge, solutions and bonds you create. With some attentiveness and practice, you can elevate your inquiry skills to an art form that unlocks understanding and possibility. Keep exploring techniques to ask better, more thoughtful questions in all aspects of life. The rewards will be game-changing.
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How to Ask Better Questions | Mike Vaughan | TEDxMileHigh
What makes a good question-asker?
A critical characteristic of a good question-asker is bravery. Even if the question ruffles some feathers, you must ask the right one to gain clarity. Sometimes people don’t ask specific questions because they’re afraid of what others may think or say. It can be nerve-wracking to stand up and use your voice to ask tough questions.
How do you ask better questions?
Here are some ways to ask much better questions and as a result, get much better answers — which is the point of asking questions in the first place. Start asking one sentence questions. Feel free to state the problem or issue in detail, but limit your question to one sentence. “How can we increase productivity?” “How can we improve quality?”
Why should you ask a great question?
A great question, on the other hand, returns more information. If you ask a great question, you gain valuable insight that helps you understand a problem better or see an opportunity you weren’t aware of. Great questions allow the conversation to flow with ease. They aren’t always fast, although they can be efficient.
How can I improve my questioning skills?
Thinking about exactly what you want to accomplish will help you refine your line of questioning, which will in turn result in more satisfying answers. Ask yourself, “What do I hope to learn by asking this question?” This will help you formulate the question more effectively. Ask relevant and appropriate questions.
