Flex, Build, and Hone Your Ability to Ask Powerful Questions

Asking skillful questions requires much more than putting a question mark at the end of a thought. Use these four exercises to develop your skill:

1. Ask before advocating. In your next meeting or conversation, try to ask a sincere, relevant question before advocating your point - in every instance. The topic of your questions might include gathering more information, clarifying a statement or perspective that someone shared, or asking for other participants' thoughts. Be sure to notice how the tenor of the interaction changes, and how people respond.

2. Examine past assumptions. Think of an instance when you or someone else made an assumption, and when the outcome of the interaction was poor or less than ideal. Write down at least five questions you could have asked during that interaction to prevent assumptions from being made.

3. Inquire, don't interrogate. Thoughtful questions are a powerful tool for learning more and fostering understanding, yet no one likes to be interrogated! As with any other communication tool, be aware of your own intention for asking the question (e.g. learning more versus attacking someone else's idea), as well as the tone of your voice, body language, and word choice.

4. A step you can take right now. Identify at least three opportunities you have in the next week to practice using inquiry and probing questions. (Meetings, impromptu phone calls, conversations with friends, and e-mail replies are all potential opportunities.)