The Power of Questions

Have you ever considered that one of the most powerful tool you have in your business tool box is questions?

Taking time to think about the ‘right’ question to ask can pay dividends in all sorts of ways. Questions are not just about seeking answers—they can shape how you influence others and solve problems, they can trigger innovation and drive change.

The way you frame a question significantly impacts the response you receive, whether asking yourself or others.

Open-ended questions encourage deeper thinking and detailed responses, while closed questions can limit the scope of answers.  For example, asking "What are some ways we can improve customer satisfaction?" invites a wider range of ideas, compared to "Are our customers satisfied?" which might only yield a yes or no answer.

Just changing one word in the question can change how our brains process the answer.  For example when solving a problem you might ask ‘How can I convert more prospects into customers?’ Adding just one word will change the answers you generate.  So instead ask ‘How can I possibly convert more prospects into customers?’

Of course a question can start in many different ways and I always think about the start of the poem, The Elephant’s Child by Rudyard Kipling to give me the main six.

 I keep six honest serving-men,

(They taught me all I knew);

Their names are What and Why and When

And How and Where and Who

The choice you make for the beginning word of a question significantly shapes the nature of the response it elicits, guiding the direction and depth of the conversation.

 ‘Why’ questions delve into reasoning and motivations, encouraging deeper reflection on underlying causes or intentions. In my mind, ‘Why’ is one of the most important questions we can ask in our business as without a clear reason for taking action it can be hard to implement an effective plan. ‘Why’ questions allow you to drill down several levels to get to the root of the problem or the driver of the goal.

 ‘What’ questions are aimed at seeking specific information and can be effective in narrowing broader topics down into more manageable pieces.  For example, when creating a list of the activities that make up a plan asking ‘What comes immediately before that step’ can help ensure things are not missed.

 "Who" questions make sure we consider who should be involved in any discussions or project.  It is also a good question to ask when thinking about who will perform a particular task or step in an action plan.  Does it absolutely have to be you?

 ‘How’ is more exploratory.  It tends to invite explanations and descriptions of processes, methods, or procedures. This type of question often leads to informative and detailed answers that provide insight into practical approaches and techniques.

 The use of "when" at the beginning of a question focuses on timing and sequence of events.  If exploring a problem you might ask ‘When did the open rate start dropping?’ allowing focus on that particular point in time for further analysis.  And clearly ‘when’ is key in setting deadlines and targets.

 Finally ‘Where’ establishes place.

 Of course there are other ways of starting questions and all will frame a different response.

 Like all things in business preparation and practice are key.  Spend some time thinking about the questions you ask, when and where you ask them and whether a different starting word or adapting the language would be more likely to elicit a more insightful answer.