How To Gain Commitment and Understanding Asking Questions

	I am amazed how much information I can gain about an organization by just asking questions. Or I should say the correct questions. So why don't managers, employees or even customers or clients get the information that I do. It's all about the question itself. Questions can be powerful tools or your worse enemy. Questions need to be carefully crafted and presented. "Why did you do THAT?" tends to ruffle feathers of even the toughest individual. This question is usually asked in a sarcastic tone. Or it is interpreted to be condescending. Now you have the beginning of a recipe for an argument. Part 1 - Steps for questions First you need to decide what is the goal of the question? Are you truly interested in "why" or is your intent to make the individual feel stupid? You goal should be to gather information and gain understanding. Even if you are absolutely positive you know what the answer is, your goal needs to be gather information and gain understanding. Second, structure the question to meet the goal. If you goal is to understand the actions of another person, instead of asking "Why did you do that?" maybe the question should be "Help me understand what you are doing?" By asking, "help me understand" most people will going into a helping mode and give you the information. They may think you are really stupid but just the same they will give you the information. Third and probably the hardest to implement in many situations, choose your attitude and tone. You have to make sure that the tone and attitude match the question and the goal. If I am trying to understand and have asked you to "help me understand __" but I ask it in a sarcastic or condescending manor I might as well have asked "Why did you do THAT?" By asking the best question you will get people to think about issues in a totally different light and perspective. Questions like: What do you like about __ What frustrates you the most about __? If you were me what would you suggest I do about __? can open the door to communication. It can show that you are interested in learning and understanding another person. But this is just part one of the equation. How you respond to their answers will show your real intent. Part 2 - Reaction to the answers to your questions When people open up and answer your questions, you must make absolutely sure that they don't feel stupid for answering. For example if you ask me "What frustrates you the most about (one of the tasks of my job)?" And I give you a detailed answer. Don't criticism my comments. Don't tell me why I am wrong? Follow up with another question like "What can be done to reduce or eliminate the frustration?" This will then lead to an answer that will be followed up with another question. I find that these types of conversations lead to understanding on both side. (Usually at some point the questions start being asked from the other direction. For example, "Why does can't we skip this step, it takes so much time?) It helps individuals process their thoughts and ideas as well as giving you an idea of how they make their decisions. Then you have the opportunity to inform, educate or build on their experience to improve their morale and productivity. I highly recommend the book QBQ! The Questions Behind the Question by John G. Miller. The QBQ focuses on what to ask yourself. This logic can then be used to focuses on what to ask others. By: Margie Thomas, CPF, CTC
	Byline: Margie Thomas, Productivity Strategist, works with organizations to develop strategies to tame the CHAOS and improve productivity and job satisfaction. You can receive Margie’s free “Team Charter, Setting the Course for Successful Teams” report on her website www.matconsulting.com. You can contact Margie Thomas at 765-325-2482 or e-mail her at margie@matconsulting.com. Copyright: Copyright © M.A.T. Consulting, Inc. All Rights Reserved. © M.A.T. Consulting, Inc. Phone: 765-325-2482 www.matconsulting.com