The Art Of
Asking Great
Questions
Y
ou will never get a great answer or a great solution
during a meeting by asking low-impact questions.
Getting a great answer during a meeting can be as
simple, or as difficult, as asking a great question to
prompt it. A great question is going to be big and
specific, and it will push you and your employees to find a great
answer. A great answer is measurable and has associated
metrics, so remaining wistfully unaccountable when it comes
to a solution is not as easy as it otherwise would be.
When considering the types of questions that should be asked
at your meetings, consider the following graphic:
THIS QUADRANT SYSTEM SHOWS FOUR
POTENTIAL QUESTION TYPES:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Small and broad – Average questions that occur first to
most people. Answers cannot deliver any extraordinary
results because the questions aren’t very good to begin
with. For example, “How can I increase my sales?”
Big and broad – These are too broad. They open the door
to too many solutions and finding the best one can quickly
become impossible: “How can I make my sales numbers
double?”
Small and specific – These would end up being simple
questions that could have answers dependent on
variables outside your control: “How can I improve sales
by one percent?”
Big and specific – Large goals with specific information.
These cause you to stretch your imagination to find ways
to solve them: “How can I double my sales this month?”
TO ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOALS, FOCUS ON
BIG AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS. LIKEWISE,
THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF ANSWERS:
1.
2.
3.
| Source: Doug Wick,
Extraordinary Results Require Great Answers
Doable – Answers within your current level of knowledge,
experience, and skill. These would be considered the
“low hanging fruit” in this situation.
Stretch – Harder to achieve than the doable answers would
be. This type of solution is going to require background
research and study.
Possible – These solutions go beyond the first two. They
are not guaranteed to succeed, but they are the ideal
(best) outcome.
Aim for the best possible answers during your meetings.
Encourage employees and yourself to not only think outside
the box but to not dismiss answers that may seem out of reach
at first glance. Ben chmark your goals and practice asking
great questions, finding the best solutions, and acting on
them. With practice, you will find yourself trending toward the
extraordinary results that you are aiming for. u
FALL 2017
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