Asking the Right Questions | Ep. #65

Summary: In Ep. 65, Here are the steps I employ when I am ready to listen and need specific information. 1. Avoid asking rhetorical questions. A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question. They are typically asked in order to make a point rather than to elicit an answer. Such questions are not really questions but are designed to force someone into a specific response. This gets you nowhere. 2. Ask friendly, clarifying questions. A good question lets you better understand the situation, and this requires not putting people on the defensive. Demeaning a person rarely produces honest feedback. 3. Don’t set traps. Don’t put the listener on the spot. There is an old joke where a constituent asked his senator if he had quit beating his wife. The question was designed to force a denial of one type or another not to provide meaningful information. Articulate your questions without erecting a box around them. 4. Ask open-ended questions. Few questions can be correctly answered with yes / no, A / B, forward / backward. Binary replies are often invalid. It is better to ask an open-ended question -- one without artificial bounds -- and to give the respondent time to answer with the appropriate level of detail and nuance. Open-ended questions also allow the listener greater comfort with the communication, since they are not forced to make incomplete choices. Related: The No. 1 Communication Problem for Managers 5. Be grateful. Thank the person for their response. After all, you will likely want their insights again. 6. Avoid stress. Answers provided during tense situations are often poor ones. If the situation is tense but not an emergency, then waiting a short time improves the odds of a quality answer, since the respondent will have time and focus to contemplate. 7. Avoid being too direct. Even if you are trying to get a specific answer, being too direct and too specific can lead to rigid answers. Instead of, “Should we create product A or B?” ask, “What product is the market asking for, and how do our options meet that demand?” (You can also follow me on Instagram - Sattyam03)