QuestionsThe Fine Art of Questioning

Types of Question Closed Open Leading Loaded

The skill of facilitative Questioning

Its about Enquiry NOT Avocacy

What do you

think?

Don’t you Think!

The Extraordinary Power of Questions The most powerful tool

in the Meeting Owner, Chairman or facilitators armory

Questions request responses

Question elicit creativity and ideas

BUT Poor Questioning close these off

Kipling’s 6 Honest serving Men

Nearly always precede an open question

Useful for covering ground comprehensively

Open Questions

e.g. What effect on your career do you think your unfortunate dress sense has had? NOT AN OPEN QUESTION

Maximise opportunity to

expand

No pressure on respondent

Contains no element of the answer

Closed Questions Essential in right

place Can feel

interrogative Do not give space

for explanation Do not leave options

in how to answer “ Are you ill?”

Used to get information Move things on Ask non contentious

things Gather facts Elicit a yes or no answer “ What is your name?” “ Do you want to take a

break?”

Downsides of Closed Questions Dangerous if they force

‘uncomfortable disclosure Can be leading or loaded Can take you into difficult

psychological areas

Leading or Loaded Questions Like Icebergs 90% of these

lies below the surface A leading question contains a

specific answer being sought.. “You are the obstruction

to progress here aren’t you?

BEWARE of “Don’t you think?” it usually precedes a loaded or leading question

A loaded question contains an unjustified or unsubstantiated assumption.

Facilitative Questioning Essential in Meetings Enquiry not Advocacy Open Questionsing Draw Out Use Follow up Questions“ Can you say more about that ?”There are times when Closed Questions are appropriate – “ What time do we need to stop by?”

Questioning Pitfalls Asking more than one question in

the same sentence. Loaded questions – “You do want to

stop this topic now don’t you Sally?” Confusing or very long questions. Following a statement from an

attendee with a question directed at no one in particular… is it me he is asking or someone else..

Hiding your opinion in a question as an independent attendee, facilitator, meeting owner of chairperson

The Magic Question is… The one which no one seems to want to

ask. The one that pulls the rabbit from the hat The so called stupid question.. The one that unlocks a deadlock or.. Flushes outs the elephant in the room The one that allows attendees to reveal

new connections