Asking Questions

Using questions to stimulate learning - both for the questioner and for the person providing the answers.

Asking questions of one sort or another accounts for at least 25 per cent of most conversations. There are questions to:

• get ideas (‘How could we solve that?’)
• get a reaction to ideas (‘What do you think of that?’)
• check whether someone is in agreement (‘Do you agree?’)
• clarify something (‘Do you mean ??’)
• get information (‘What is today’s date?’)
• get opinions (‘What views do you hold on capital punishment?’)
• find out somebody’s needs (‘What colour would you prefer?’)
• identify a problem (‘How often does he do that?’).

Questions demand answers and in that sense are a good example of the power of behaviour. If you ask someone a question, nine times out of ten you will be successful in getting an appropriate answer. Asking questions is the key to being a good conversationalist. If you question people in a way that invites them to open up and be expansive they will invariably enjoy the experience and think well of you.

Open questions are more fruitful than closed ones. Open questions avoid yes-no answers and begin with what, when, where, how and who. If you ask someone ‘Do you travel to work by train?’, it only requires the answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’, as the case may be. If you ask ‘How do you travel to work?’, it requires a more forthcoming response. Open questions are especially useful in getting silent or sullen people to open up.