Questions Matter

Whether you are asking them or answering them

"What questions did you ask in school today?" my friend Pat's mom asked one afternoon while we were rolling newspapers for our paper routes. Her question always struck me as intriguing, nearly 50 years later.

She didn't ask, "How was school today?" Or even "What did you do in school today?" But rather, "What questions did you ask in school today?" probing to bring out the aspects of Pat’s Day that showed what he was learning and doing.

The effective asking and answering of questions is a rarely treated skill, but one worth considering carefully. How well a leader can ask questions to draw out information and opinions is half of the Socratic equation. The second half of the equation is how effectively a leader also answers questions when posed by employees. Whether in a formal presentation setting in a town hall meeting, an informal setting around a conference room table, or a casual setting in somebody's office, the art of asking and answering questions is central to effective communication.

Tips for Asking Questions:

1. Use Open-Ended questions (like Pat's mom did to draw out information.) The answer to an open-ended question is never known when asked. It is a wild card. "What would you like to see us focus on next quarter? Where do you expect to be in five years? How would you improve productivity?" Questions like these leave the field wide open for any response from a team member.

2. Use Closed-Ended questions (yes or no, limited response questions) when you want to limit or focus the conversation. This technique is often effective when you are ending a conversation and want to summarize action steps, or information gathered in a meeting. "So, we are agreed that these elements of the campaign should be kept?"

3. Check for understanding. Particularly after explaining a new policy or procedure, verify that your communication was understood. "Have I explained this well enough that you can provide this service if a customer requests it?" is a great way to check for understanding, making it easy for the team member to request you repeat the information without feeling embarrassed. "Did you get all that?" On the other hand, requires a listener to admit fault if they did not understand the information.

4. Question your customers. "Is there anything more I can provide?" or "What would you like us to do to compensate for this problem?" are effective ways to partner with your customers to provide excellent customer service. As discussed in my last newsletter, “What did I miss?” can also open up discussion with authentic vulnerability.

5. Avoid the ordinary. Particularly in job interviews, look for unique ways to get the information you seek. When you ask a typical question like "What are your strengths?" You can expect a typical response. When you ask extraordinary questions like "What are three characteristics your colleagues would say they admire about you?" You can expect extraordinary answers.

Yet, the effective leader not only needs to be able to ask intriguing and challenging questions but must also be able to respond effectively to questions. Often listeners will remember your response to their questions better than the presentation or meeting itself. After all, it was their question that prompted them to interact with you in the first place. Your response must be of critical importance to them. "That can be found in the handout." Or "I covered that last week." are not responses to questions that will leave your audience feeling satisfied.

For high-profile presentations or meetings, you may even want to practice ahead of time how to handle questions that you expect to get. This rehearsal not only pays off during the presentation, but in the event your audience is completely silent during the Q & A period.

You can say something like: "A question I often get is…" breaking the ice for others to ask questions.

Tips for Answering Questions:

1. Repeat the question before answering. This ensures that everyone can hear the question and tells your audience that you understood what was asked. (It can also give you just a few more moments to consider your answer in case you need that.) Clarifying the question lets you direct the answer within the scope and tone of your presentation. For example: "What will be the impact of the new program?" could be paraphrased back as "What are the benefits we expect from this program?" letting you again repeat the advantages of the new venture.

2. Acknowledge the question. Sometimes you will want to recognize the person for asking a particularly tough question or reminding you of a point you missed. Be authentic with your praise or acknowledgment. "I am glad you asked that; it shows you can see both sides of this thorny issue." Is an example of a way to recognize someone who has asked a sensitive or challenging question.

3. Turn the question back to the audience if that will further your point. You may want to get some feedback from the group to see if they think it is beneficial before offering your own thoughts. Or, if you are in a training setting, you may want to see if the information you presented has “stuck.”

4. Remain relaxed and approachable during Q and A. Often you may want to take a step toward the person asking the question. Listen carefully and don't interrupt once you think you "know" the question being posed. Set a tone that you welcome and embrace questions. Each question is an opportunity for you to further educate or persuade your listeners.

5. Announce and close the Q and A section. Particularly for larger groups and presentations, inform the audience when you will be taking questions, and then when you are done, take a moment or two to summarize once again what you have said. This “second closing” is one more opportunity to leave your audience with the theme of your presentation. This is key if the final question is somewhat trivial or off-topic; you don’t want your answer to it to be your final impression.

If a leader can develop the skill of effectively asking and answering questions when interacting with staff members, it will go a long way to creating a work environment that is marked by open communication and dialogue. It may even help you understand what your kids are doing in school each day.

JD’s Recommendations: what I’m reading, hearing, and seeing:

• Reading:  I’m slow to the AI bandwagon, but loved James Presbitero’s provocative post: These words make it obvious that your text is written by AI. I don’t use AI, but have used some of these red-flag terms.

• Hearing:  this NPR audio story astounded me: Matt Hay gradually went deaf. But music partially helped him hear again. Thanks to Aaron Schmidtberger for sharing it with me.

• Seeing: take a trip down memory lane to 2019 when Robert Kelly’s BBC interview was interrupted by his children; how quaint that pre-covid moment is.  

As always, jds

PS: Full disclosure, today’s column was a trip down memory lane for me. The core of this lesson I wrote while an MBA student at NYU Stern in 1999. I came across the article recently and thought an update and rebroadcast would serve my readers. Let me know if it did so.