Questions That Work—How to Ask Questions That Will Help You Succeed in Any Business Situation

The Essential Skill

Find the right questions. You don’t invent the answers, you reveal the answers.
—JONAS SALK


1) How quickly can you be convinced of the virtue of asking better questions? Here are three short arguments.

Questions Help You to Find Focus
In all affairs it’s a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.
BERTRAND RUSSELL

Questions Help You Become More Flexible
A prudent question is one-half of wisdom.
FRANCIS BACON

Questions Help You Force Action
The great end of life is not knowledge but action.
THOMAS HUXLEY

2) Why Executives and Leaders Need to Ask Better Questions
Reason and judgment are the qualities of a leader.
TACITUS

To Become More Connected to the Organization
What do I know?
MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

To Create a Motivational Environment
An effective leader will … ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
DALE CARNEGIE

To Encourage the Search for New Questions
Ignorance never settles a question.
BENJAMIN DISRAELI

3) Why Organizations Need to Encourage Better Question Asking
Intelligence is quickness to apprehend.
ALFRED WHITEHEAD

To Become a Learning Organization
The ability to learn faster than your competitors may be the only sustainable competitive advantage.
ARIE DE GEUS

To Encourage Cooperation
An idea is a feat of association.
ROBERT FROST

To Inspire Creativity
Creative thinking may mean simply the realization that there’s no particular virtue doing things the way they always have been done.
RUDOLF FLESCH

To Attract Better Employees
I not only use all the brains I have, but all I can borrow.
WOODROW WILSON

To Become More Efficient
To find the exact answer, one must first ask the exact question.
S. TOBIN WEBSTER

To Support Conflict Resolution
As a general rule, if you want to get at the truth—hear both sides and believe neither.
JOSH BILLINGS


Questions That Work When—You Are Put on the Spot

A) Facing a Conflict

How can positive questions help? They help the parties to the conflict to:
 Start and maintain important contacts.
 Be aware of each other’s attitudes.
 Encourage the expression of reactions.
 Restate and clarify their positions.
 Discover what they have in common.
 Soften their attitudes when meeting the opposition.
 Deal with the inevitable rifts.

ASK THE PERSON:
 Is this a good time for you to listen to me?
 Would you like to talk now?
o Where would you like to talk?
 What’s on your mind?
o I want to understand the concerns you have. Can you give me specifics?
 What may I have misunderstood?
o Is there something that has offended you?
 Can you clarify what you just said?
o What did you mean by those remarks?
 How reliable is this information?
o Who told you?
o Can you confirm that?
 How can I help?
 What do you think?
o Can you explain the connection?
 Do you have any other ideas?
o Okay, what would you say if you were me?
 What would get you to change your mind?
o What would be the best outcome regarding this in your opinion?
 What will this choice produce?
o Are we ready to accept the consequences?
 If you could say whatever you wanted without repercussions or being misunderstood by the other party to make this matter right, what would you say?
 Where would you like this discussion to be at the end of ten minutes?
 Did that answer your question?
o Have I got it right?
 What exactly were you tr ying to accomplish?
o Can you sum up what needs to be done?
 What’s the next item we need to deal with?
o Anything else I need to know as we move for ward?

B) Disagreeing with Another

ASK THE OTHER PERSON:
 Did you consider … ?
 How would your idea … ?
 This is an interesting idea. Where did it come from?
 What would be the star ting point if we were to use your idea?
 Who else needs to be involved before we make a decision on this?
 What would be the biggest obstacle to this idea succeeding?
 Has this idea been tried before?

ASK YOUR BOSS:
 You are the boss, and I respect your position/decision, I just wonder if … ?
 If you tell me to, I will, but could … ?
 Can I use my best judgment on this?
 Can we look at how we communicate and make decisions?
 What can we work out that would make ever yone happy?
 I need to understand this new direction. Can you help me define my priorities?
o What should I be working on first?
• What needs to be done right now?
o Would you like me to do my job well by using my best judgment?
 When presented with a conflict, which assignment do you want me to focus on first?
o Do you want to put some duties on hold or give them to others?
o Can you help me out of my current assignments before I tackle something new?
 If you would like me to work on this, what do I need to know about the future of my current project?
 What specifically do you want me to do?
 Can this assignment be temporary?
 Are there others who are better qualified?
o Do you want me to tackle this on my own?
 Can I have a little time to think about this assignment?

C) Mixing with a Roomful of Strangers

ASK THE OTHER PERSON:
 Can I have your name?
 Where are you from?
 What work do you do?
o How did you get into this line of business?
 Do you have any hobbies?
 I’m curious:
o Can you tell me about … ?
o Can you explain … ?
o What’s your secret for ________ ?
o What do you think about (current general news topic?)
 Have you traveled to any interesting places recently?
 Have you read or been inspired by any great books lately?

D) Needing to Complain

ASK THE CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSON:
 What would you do in my situation?
 What do you think is fair?
 What is the rule you are following?
o What are the exceptions to that rule?
 Can I speak to your supervisor?



For more Information:
Effective Personal Communication Skills, How To Win Any Argument, Appreciative Inquiry, Speaking Your Mind in 101 Difficult Situations

Questions That Work—How to Ask Questions That Will Help You Succeed in Any Business Situation