What gets teams and leaders in trouble (in a good way) are questions that aren’t asked much
- Ask questions to make happen what otherwise wouldn’t
- Ask questions that flush out info, insights, and alternatives
- Ask questions that unearth critical questions that have been overlooked
It’s pretty easy to not ask questions and assume you know it all. Many people fall victim to this mindset, most of all, adults with a lot of experience. When you don’t ask questions, you are not very open-minded and you may be impeded by your own experience and success
The vital complement to asking questions is Metacognition. This is key to evaluating your own knowledge and figuring our exactly what kind of questions to ask. it’s a combination of your own confidence and understanding of the subject and the situation at hand
flowchart LR
A["Strategic Questions"] --> B["Investigative"]
A["Strategic Questions"] --> C["Speculative"]
A["Strategic Questions"] --> D["Subjective"]
A["Strategic Questions"] --> E["Productive"]
A["Strategic Questions"] --> F["Interpretive"]
| Type | Question | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Investigative | What do we know? | Identify and analyze problem in depth |
| Speculative | What if? What else? | Broaden the possibilities |
| Productive | Now what? | Assess availability of resources, capabilities, time, and talent |
| Interpretive | So, what? | To help make sense of things and to attack from multiple perspectives |
| Subjective | What’s unsaid? | Uncover personal reservations and frustrations |
- [n] Pluralistic Ignorance - Many people don’t ask questions because they internally assume others hold one opinion so they also go along with them. This impedes asking questions