We ask hundreds of questions a day. Many are just mundane interrogatives that help us navigate our professional and personal lives. But have you thought about being more specific when composing your questions? Whether you are talking to a person or using an online search, you are deploying your curiosity.
Recently I was on a conference call with some executive women, and one of them mentioned Dr. Marilee Adam’s book, “Change Your Questions, Change Your Life.”The book helps us to discover how questions can expand our mindsets and open us up to new possibilities, or limit our mindsets and therefore our options change. We are all looking for answers, but do we ask the “right” questions?
What if we could stop and think about the real questions we should be asking more often? Perhaps we would make wiser choices, find solutions and potentially transform our lives. Perhaps we could open doors that we never knew were there!
There have been times when I stopped talking and started asking more deliberate questions. When that has happened, mysteries unfold and often I will say, “I never knew that!” By using my newfound knowledge, I have been able to accomplish more and avoid mistakes.
For extroverts, like me, deliberately asking more questions is a discipline that takes time and practice. And for introverts, it is an opportunity to speak up and engage people you are meeting with. That is why it is useful and interesting to occasionally surround yourself with people who do not think like you. Or individuals who come from completely different mindsets and have expertise in subject matters outside of your realm. This is when it gets exciting to exchange knowledge and ideas that were previously not in your “wheelhouse.”
All of this got me thinking. The next time I am going to be in a meeting, I will be more focused on the questions I want to ask before I walk into the room. Spontaneity is always great too, but if you have specific information you want to gather, then make sure your questions are lined up and ready to go.
This may seem obvious if you are a lawyer or another professional who must ask questions to get the information you need to do your job. When I was a practicing marketing professional, of course I had to ask many questions to get to the ultimate answers. Looking back, I wonder if I always asked the best questions.
Let’s give this a try and document what new directions you take based on questions you have not previously asked. How exciting!
Did I answer your question?
Gay Gaddis
Founder. Author. Artist. Trailblazer.
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