Get Results with Better Questions
Are you asking good questions? No, that is not a rhetorical inquiry. I really want you to think about the quality of the questions you ask and how you could improve them, because when you ask better questions you get better results. It’s that simple. Here are five quick tips to help you ask better questions: 1. Do your homework. Before asking someone else to provide you with the answer, take time to do some research on your own. Conduct online searches, visit relevant websites, read books that relate to your area of interest…whatever you can to equip yourself to ask questions that will yield responses that support the outcomes you are seeking. Prepare yourself before asking for assistance! 2. Ask the right person. Just because someone is accessible at the moment doesn’t mean they are the best person to respond to your question. Use your research and your network to find the person who is most likely to be able to help and then identify the best way to contact that person to ask your question. Seek out someone who can actually help you! 3. Be specific. General questions will solicit general answers. If you want to get results you need to communicate clearly what it is that you want to know. That way the person you are asking can focus their response on what you need to know in order to take action. Solicit specific information you can use! 4. Listen carefully. It is almost impossible to ask a question without having some preconceived notion regarding the response. Human nature drives us to seek answers that are comfortable, so we often listen for the part of the response that we agree with, instead of listening to the entire answer and learning from it. Make sure to listen to what you don’t want to hear! 5. Probe further. Responses to questions usually reveal areas where you need clarification, subjects that require additional information, and lines of inquiry you had not previously considered. Use follow-up questions to probe these issues and seek resources that can help you to restart the process at step 1. Always seek more knowledge so you can ask even better questions and get even better results!
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