David Stork: How to ask good questions
This is how David enigmatically kicks off his TED talk. He points out how we are taught how to solve problems in school, but not how to make them. The secret to true innovation falls in the latter. Managers aren’t even looking for problem-solvers anymore, they are looking for the creative souls who ask questions. This is why David gives his interesting talk on an important skill we aren’t learning — question posing.
The goal isn’t finding an answer, but rather understanding something. Through this talk and this practice, you have the ability to be a better leader.
Mike Vaughan: How to Ask Better Questions
Of the 15 most important global issues that are affecting our lives, even putting us at risk, one of them is capacity to decide. Why are we unable to make decisions? (Or as many of my friends do, they think indecisiveness is a valuable attribute?) The worry that Mike points out is that we are being taught what to think, not how to think.
Mike takes us through the process of creating a vision for growth within an organization. In a nutshell, the most successful people ask others’ perspectives which enables them to overcome the conflict, create a common language and therefore create a shared vision. His TEDx talk offers tips for just how to do this.
Alan Duffy: The Power of Simple Questions
One question comes from a young girl who likes science and another comes from an 18th century astronomer. Is it hard to guess which one asked which? For Alan, cleverness doesn’t come from asking challenging questions, but rather asking the simple ones.
His TEDxYouth talk is a pleasure to watch. It will leave you pondering his intriguing (though I’m not certain simple) questions, and it’ll leave you thinking that, maybe why kid ask you “Why is the sky blue?” and another few thousand Why questions, you make not just respond with “Just because it is!” again. And when you want to understand something complex, like the people in your organization, maybe you too should ask a simple question.
Michael ‘Vsause’ Stevens: Why do we ask questions?
I won’t spoil the punchline to this totally “me” joke, so you’ll have to watch this punny TED talk to hear. But interestingly enough Michael starts off his talk with the often annoying child’s Why Game, but pointing out that we as adults fail when we lose the Why. He’s made his whole life around this question, bringing people in with his often bizarre questions, like “What does a shadow weight?” and “Why are things creepy?”
Michael believes that anything can be interesting to anyone, so long as you take the time to get to know that person to learn what it is that would make it meaningful to her life or his experience. This is a great technique that can be applied to becoming a better manager, increasing employee engagement and invigorating passion in your team.
Dan Moulthrop: The Art Of Asking Questions
From his point of view as a heavily questioning journalist, Dan offers his rules for asking questions, which I will summarize below:
- Don’t be afraid.
- Be curious.
- Try the obvious question.
- Words matter.
- Strive for empathy.
- Be informed.
- Be simple.
- Be gracious.
But what he really drives home is to ask questions like not “What do you do?” but “How do you feel about what you do?” Dan teaches us the power of the words we use and how we can use them to ask powerful questions that lead to even more powerful answers and relationships.
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