Ask the Right Question!

The Key to Having an Effective Conversation

The major reason conversations have poor or negative outcomes is a failure to ask the right questions. Few people have been taught "the art and science of effective questioning."

These failures are reflected in a number of key areas - in conversations between employees and managers, in interviews with clients, and in meetings that become big time-wasters. You can learn to have more effective conversations.

Often, the workplace prioritizes shorter, rushed conversations, where it is likely that you will not be able to ask enough questions or the right questions. In such cases, a longer conversation would be more effective. Shorter conversations do not save time. In the long run, you will spend more time compensating for information you lack that might have been elicited in a longer conversation. You may also find yourself cutting a conversation short because the other person is initially unresponsive. When that happens, instead of backing off, try to open up the conversation with a more open-ended question and with more responsive listening.

Conversations are often ineffective because people tend to use closed questions...