Powerful Questions Produce Results
Don’t ask powerful questions if you want a team of mindless zombies.
Powerful questions:
- Invite.
- Engage.
- Inspire.
- Motivate.
- Provoke.
- Challenge.
- Encourage.
Powerful questions change behaviors:
You are 35% more likely to buy a car in the next six months if I ask, “Do you intend to buy a new car?” Citizens are 25% more likely to vote if someone asks, “Are you going to vote?” Your friend is more likely to exercise if you ask, “Do you intend to exercise?”
Questions create attention.
Attention translates to direction.
Focus that produces the best results:
- Learning new skills.
- Adapting to change.
- Connecting with people.
- Delivering on commitments.
- Taking ownership of responsibilities.
- Siezing opportunities.
- Solving problems.
Don’t be a one-string banjo that only focuses on fixing stuff. When you constantly bring up problems everyone focuses on things that aren’t working.
Questions lead to thinking. Thinking leads to doing.
When was the last time you did something you hadn’t thought about?
“… decades of research has found that the more the brain contemplates a behavior, the more likely it is that we will engage in it.” David Hoffeld
What do you want people thinking?
Ask questions that lead to action.
If the next question you ask creates attention, what do you want people to focus on?
5 powerful questions:
- What do you intend to learn today?
- Where do you intend to adapt today?
- Who do you intend to connect with today?
- What do you intend to deliver today?
- What opportunity do you intend to seize today?
Powerful questions tickle intentions.
What questions could you ask to lead your team in the right direction?
Still curious:
How to Ask Questions That Wake-Up People
7 Questions You Can Use to Help Anyone Develop, Even the Boss
The Art of Asking Great Questions
As the five powerful questions indicate, the best questions are open, not those that request a “yes” or “no” response, as indicated in the first three questions (e.g., “Are you going to vote?”). What’s more, requesting further information with a follow-up such as “Tell me more” amplifies thinking and, as Dan points out, doing.
Thanks, Kim. You bring up an important point. The second question is usually more powerful than the first. “Tell me more,” leads to deeper responses and as you say, “amplifies thinking.”
What’s is the next action that you (or we) need to take?
What question do you we need to address to move forward?
What’s our number one priority for today?
What’s holding you (or us) back? What obstacles need to be removed?
What can we do to help each other move the project forward?
What can we stop doing? What’s not needed?
Wonderful questions, Paul. Love the “stop doing” question. Starting is easier than stopping. The other thing I notice is your questions take us to actions.