Asking Questions

Questions are the most multi-purpose, powerful, and underused tool in the communication tool belt.

It replaces assumptions, erasure, projections—it the speech equivalent to holding the door open for someone else to walk through first.

https://twitter.com/TatianaTMac/status/1037531181334417408

Ways to ask Why

• I’m curious, what led you to this idea?
• Tell me more about what inspired this idea?
• What makes that important to you?
• What makes you feel/think this is the best approach to solve for X?
• Help me understand X.
• What led to this decision?
• What is your hope?
• What would you like to see happen?
• Show me an example of this happening, walk me through it!
• What triggered this idea?
• I’m curious about any other options that were considered.
• What lead you to choose this option?
• What will happen if we don’t do this?
• What will excite you when you see this working?

Good questions

• “What will people be doing differently if we succeed?”