Asking the 'Right' Questions!!!

Introduction

Questions are the instruments of curiosity and innovation. They enable us to investigate the unfamiliar, question the conventional, and discover better alternatives. But some questions are more powerful than others. Some questions can cause us to be perplexed, prejudiced, or shallow. How can we formulate the best questions that will improve our understanding and judgment?

The Art and Science of Questioning

Questioning is a skill that involves both imagination and reasoning. There are three main kinds of questions: divergent, convergent, and metacognitive. They differ in how they explore ideas, find solutions, and reflect on thinking.

Divergent questions have many answers and create new ideas. They help with brainstorming, ideation, and innovation. Convergent questions have few answers and reduce the choices. They help with analysis, evaluation, and verification. Metacognitive questions ask about our own thinking. They help with making our questions and answers better and more precise.

How to Ask the Right Questions? 

Since questions are dependent on context, purpose and audience of the inquiry and it could be extremely subjective or objective to a person; there isn’t any definitive mold to produce “right questions”. 

However, following guidelines can be followed in attempts of gaining accuracy in coming up with right questions;

A.      Begin with why. Why helps us to state the aim, reason, and significance of our inquiry. It also helps us to steer clear of questions that are unrelated, superficial, or biased.

B.      Apply the 5W and 1H framework. By asking who, what, when, where, how, and how much, we can get the basic facts and details of the situation. It also helps us to avoid asking questions that are unclear, confusing, or incomplete.

C.     Use open-ended questions. Open-ended questions prompt more detailed and significant answers. They also help us to steer clear of questions that are yes/no, either/or, or leading.

D.     Dig deeper with follow-up questions. Follow-up questions help us ask more, clear up confusion, and check comprehension. They also help us avoid questions that are shallow, presumptive, or non-genuine.

E.       Challenge the information. By challenging the information, we can test how valid, reliable, and relevant it is. We can also avoid questions that are unfair, irrational, or misleading.

Conclusion

We can learn and practice how to ask the right questions. This can help us improve our critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and also our communication and collaboration skills. By asking the right questions, we can learn more, think more, and solve better.

References

·       Graff, G., & Birkenstein, C. (2018). They say/I say: The moves that matter in academic writing. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

·       Marquardt, M. J. (2014). Leading with questions: How leaders find the right solutions by knowing what to ask. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

·       Rothstein, D., & Santana, L. (2011). Make just one change: Teach students to ask their own questions. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.