I picked up this book awhile back in the hopes to help find some new techniques in answering questions. I quickly browsed through it to see if I could glean any tips and tricks. A lot of my job is asking good questions, and luckily my journalism degree also gave me some additional tip son asking solid question. While I did browse through this book, here’s the sections I felt were important:
- Ten Basic Rules
- Be direct
- Make eye contact
- Use plain language
- Use simple sentence structure
- Be brief
- Maintain focus on the subject
- Make certain purpose of question is clear
- The manner of asking should reflect intent
- Know what to do with the answer
- Habit questions are bad. Don’t ask the same question every day. (e.g., to your kids)
- Never be the expert when asking questions. Avoid it, unless its your job .
- Avoid “We” in a question
- Be aware of your body language. Don’t furrow your brow. Don’t look unimpressed. Smile even when asking tough questions. Be open and calm.
- Do not argue. Do not accept complaints as an answer. Dive deeper with questions.
- Good tips:
- Go into each opportunity knowing what information you don’t know (and you’d like)
- Be yourself and be calm
- Always thank people for their answers.
- They are your equals.
- The Weight of a Manager’s Question: There is no such thing as a “casual question” from a manager to a subordinate; every question carries weight and is perceived based on rank and context.
- Use Questions to Drive Results: Questions should be used to promote innovation, drive change, identify hidden problems, and get failing projects back on track.