Communication Conversations: The Art of Asking Questions with Dr. Sandra Folk
Are you asking the right questions?
Getting the information you want has to do with asking the right questions.
We sit down with Dr. Sandra Folk, Executive Business Coach to discuss effective strategies to ensure you are asking the right questions to meet your objectives.
Six Tips for Asking the Right Questions:
Start with broad questions.
Think about creating a questioning funnel. Start with broad strokes and get more detailed in your line of questioning as the conversation continues and trust is established.
Include interrogative words in your questions.
Use words such as “why”, “how”, “describe” and “what’ in your questions to encourage greater thinking and depth in responses, avoiding simple “yes” or “no”.
Ask probing questions.
Get specific and don’t be afraid of asking for more detail than is initially being offered.
Plan and anticipate what you want to achieve.
Think about your end goal and what you need ahead of time to ensure your questioning is purposeful.
Plan for flexibility.
Leave room to create space in the conversation. Giving way for new ideas or thoughts increases the amount of information available to you and may offer up new possibilities you hadn't considered before.
Listen.
Be prepared to learn from your audience and ensure they are active participants in the discussion.