The HBR (Harvard  Business Review) article, The Surprising Power of Questions by Professors Alison Wood Brooks and Leslie K. John declares that “the secret to being more likable and improving interpersonal bonding isn’t being polite, helpful, or having a good sense of humor. It’s asking more questions.”

This is the first of 2 articles on the Power of Questions.

• FIRST, we’ll explain the power, importance, and special relevancy of using questions in meetings by either the role of facilitator or meeting designer.
• NEXT, check back for Part Two in March, when we’ll help you build powerful questions by providing examples, perspectives, and tips.

“Question everything,” Euripides originally said.

Many consultants have realized that their value add derives less from providing clients answers and more by getting clients to focus on the right questions, in an optimal sequence. Drawing from the behavioral sciences and our research across more than 4,000 alumni who are certified facilitators (see additional evidence-based factors provided in Meetings That Get Results [pg 13] ), note that . . .

“The servant leader does not have answers but rather takes command of the questions. Optimal questions are scripted and properly sequenced. Today, leadership is about asking precise and properly sequenced questions while always providing a safe environment for everyone’s response.”

The Power of Questions

Professional facilitators understand that asking precise and sequenced questions can unlock value in organizations by providing a catalyst. Questions provide the basis for learning, stimulate the exchange of ideas, and fuel innovation and performance improvement. According to Brooks and John, 

“Questions can mitigate business risk by uncovering unforeseen pitfalls and hazards . . . For some people, questioning comes easily. Their natural inquisitiveness, emotional intelligence, and ability to read people put the ideal question on the tip of their tongue. But most of us don’t ask enough questions, nor do we pose our inquiries in an optimal way.”

Most meeting time is invested in information exchange. The three most common meeting deliverables are:

1. To decide
2. To endorse
3. To inform

Yet, “to inform” comprises 80 percent of the time invested in meetings. If the information addresses gaps or uncertainties, then the material being presented addresses or answers questions germane to the participants. By having answers to questions, we can presumably reduce the FUD factor caused by change initiatives (fear, uncertainty, and doubt).

After all, if nothing changes after sitting through a deck of slides, what good were they? Therefore, it helps in advance to know and articulate what questions are being addressed by the information exchange.

We can observe and know that for some people, questioning comes easily. Natural curiosity, emotional intelligence, and the ability to read people ease their ability to construct optimal questions. But many people don’t ask enough questions, nor do they pose their inquiries optimally.

A Guide on the Side, Not a Sage on the Stage

Questions and not edicts or mandates advance information exchange. Well-prepared and sequenced questions:

• Build group cohesion
• Create receptiveness to change and development
• Direct teams to look for similarities—for example, apples and oranges are both fruit and similar in shape, size, and weight; they both bruise easily and rot as well
• Help maintain focus within the scope
• Increase learning and innovative thinking

Questions are most effective when presented with an inquiring, probing, and neutral perspective. Effective questions are open-ended discoveries and not opinions disguised as questions. Superb questions convert subjective perspective into objective criteria, making it easier to build consensus:

• “What is the unit of measurement for _________?”
• “What examples have you discovered?”
• “What type of evidence can you provide?”

Ask More Questions

Asking a lot of questions unlocks learning and improves interpersonal bonding. Dale Carnegie recommends in How to Win Friends and Influence People to “Ask questions the other person will enjoy answering.” The Harvard research discovered that people simply don’t ask enough questions.

Most people don’t appreciate that asking a lot of questions unlocks improves interpersonal bonding. Presumably, if people understood how beneficial questions can be, “They would end far fewer sentences with a period—and more with a question mark.”

Our workshop curriculum has stressed for more than 15 years the importance of closing with a question such as “What should have I asked you that I did not ask?” Research by others indicates that questions of this nature, even during job interviews, “can signal competence, build rapport, and unlock key pieces of information about the position.”

Sequencing Questions

For optimal meeting design, we’ve stressed and continue to stress the importance of questions to cause meeting traction (i.e., progress or the opposite of distraction) and the equal importance of the sequencing of those questions. For example, when building a new home (residence), eventually you will need to answer “What color do you want the grout to be in the kids’ bathroom?” However, if that is the first question the architect poses, you will likely seek out a new architect. 

Sequence is critical. For sequencing, a leader might begin with the least-sensitive questions to build rapport, and then escalate slowly. As a general rule, we should begin the WHY (purpose) first, then open up the world of options (WHAT might be done to support the purpose), and close with HOW we convert the new understanding into Next Steps or an action plan.

For politically charged situations such as business process improvement, consider asking the tougher questions first. Asking tough questions first can make participants more willing to open up. Leslie found that people are more willing to reveal sensitive information when questions are asked in decreasing order of intrusiveness. 

When a question asker begins with a highly sensitive question—such as ‘Have you ever had a fantasy of doing something terrible to someone?’—subsequent questions, such as ‘Have you ever called in sick to work when you were perfectly healthy?’ feel, by comparison, less intrusive, and thus we tend to be more forthcoming.”

However, also note that when the intent is to strengthen relationships, opening with less sensitive questions and escalating slowly may be more effective.

Type and Tone of Questions

Brooks and John further mention type and tone as factors to consider. For question types, echoing our sentiments, they encourage the use of open-ended questions. Answers to close-ended questions hide the underlying rationale or reason and offer only three possible responses:

• Yes
• No
• Maybe (conditional)

Tone generally refers to those non-narrative aspects that are difficult to generalize, such as non-verbal clues, vocal intonations, and eye movement. Nevertheless, do not underestimate the power of the “right tone of voice” when asking questions. Note how the following sentence changes simply by shifting the emphasis of one of the three words: I Love You. The first-person emphasis of ‘I love you’ generates a different response than stressing the second word, as in ‘I love you’ and an additional difference is generated when stressing the third word as in ‘I love you.’ To improve your tone, strive to avoid using the first person singular “I” and especially avoid consuming too much air time by droning on and on. 

In the words of Brooks and John, “Use energy, humor, and storytelling to engage your partners and avoid talking too much about yourself.” Additionally, participants are more forthcoming when casually asked questions, rather than using an official tone. In general, an overly formal tone will likely inhibit participants’ willingness to share information.

Favor Challenge Questions

“Because?” — my favorite ‘challenge’ question is used very frequently, and as soon as the speaker has uttered their last sound. The ‘Because’ (WHY) question stimulates the subject matter expert to provide some proof, evidence, or something objective, to support their argument. Remember, people typically speak about external observations that are indicative of symptoms and do not represent the true, underlying cause. Consensus is built around causes, not symptoms.

For example, someone may be exhibiting “red eye.” While we could jump to conclusions, we’d probably be wrong. Much easier to find out WHY? For this example, causes could be air quality, allergies, asthenia, etc., and those are only top-of-mind causes that begin with the letter ‘A.’

‘Challenge’ questions provide special power because they signal that you are listening, care, and want the group to explore further. Participants led by a facilitator who challenges frequently feel heard and respected. Additionally, ‘challenge’ questions do not require much preparation, and may become part of your natural style.

Leverage Group Dynamics

Willingness to participate and contribute can be contagious. Willingness to respond openly and innovatively affects other members of the group who tend to follow one another’s lead. Caution however because the opposite is true, as one participant withholds information, others may follow suit. Additionally, Alison’s research revealed that participants tend to like the people asking questions more than those who answer them.

Rhetorical Precision

Creativity and innovation rely on sharp questions that generate novel perspectives and new information. After all, people don’t change their minds, they simply make a new decision based on new information.

Detailed, sequenced questions foster richer interactions, strengthen rapport and trust, and lead to discovery. Brooks and John beautifully summarize the power of questions when they say:

“The wellspring of all questions is wonder and curiosity and a capacity for delight. We pose and respond to queries in the belief that the magic of a conversation will produce a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts . . . mindful of the transformative joy of asking and answering questions.”

In Summary

While we are interested in WHAT participants think, consensus is built around WHY they think that way, and unanimity occurs when your questions and challenges result in objective proof or evidence. Consider the following sequence that demonstrates increasing robustness, by questioning:

1. What they know or believe to be true—good
2. Why they believe something to be true—better
3. Proof for their belief or claim—best

(And don’t forget to avoid DUMB questions—[Dull, Ubiquitous, Myopic, and Broad], by preparing yourself with scripting and rhetorical precision!)

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Don’t ruin your career by hosting bad meetings. Sign up for a workshop or send this to someone who should. MGRUSH workshops focus on meeting design and practice. Each person practices tools, methods, and activities daily during the week. Therefore, while some call this immersion, we call it the road to building high-value facilitation skills.

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