[This article is part of the monthly Communicate Smarter: Your Guide to Better Work Conversations series from Public Affairs. Find the full series in the Public Affairs space.]
Ever gotten a vague answer when you needed details? The quality of your answers often depends on the quality of your questions.
Asking good questions helps you gather important information, understand problems better, and engage others in meaningful conversations.
Types of questions to use:
- Open-ended questions: These questions can’t be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” They encourage people to share more information.
- Instead of: “Did you finish the report?”
- Try: “What progress have you made on the report?” or “What are your next steps for the report?”
- Clarifying questions: Use these to make sure you fully understand what someone means.
- Example: “When you say ‘soon,’ do you mean by end of day or by end of week?”
- Probing questions: These help you dig deeper into a topic.
- Example: “Can you tell me more about why you think that’s the best option?”
- Follow-up questions: After someone answers, follow up to encourage more detail or explore related points.
- Example: “What happened next?” or “How did that impact the team?”
Your action steps: put it into practice
- Turn a “yes/no” into an open-ended question: Before your next conversation, think of one question you might ask, and then rephrase it to be open-ended.
- Practice a clarifying question: In your next meeting, if something is unclear, politely ask a clarifying question.
- Ask for “why”: The next time someone gives you an opinion or a decision, ask “Can you explain the reasoning behind that?” (in a respectful tone).
