Essay 1/2016 https://au.linkedin.com/in/adrianbarbulescu

THE POWER OF ASKING QUESTIONS

Abstract: What is hidden in a question? A desire to find out an answer?

A desire to show off? A string of logical processes that require further

clarification? What if it is a rhetorical question addressed just to myself?

What bias is hidden in the way the question is asked? A proper question

is essential in the quest to understand the solution one is looking for. This

is a brief introduction into the importance of asking the right question

(often underestimated) and provides suggestions for further reading.

Most of us want certitudes, assurances. We could not function at all if we would not be sure

of the things around us. Therefore, we are trained from childhood to classify and categorize,

for the purpose of quick recognition and quick reaction to our environment. We do not even

bother with the details, we do not need them most of the time.

So, when is the first question asked? What triggered the process of asking that question?

Most of us probably remember the word which represented a question in itself: “Why?” You

might hear it on a playground from children asking “Why?” again and again until the other

person gets tired of answering. Probably at that early age, the real drive for asking questions

is a sincere desire to understand the outside world or how you are expected to in order to

avoid punishment or to get the sweets you want.

The interesting part is later on in life, when we are adults. This is when whole armies of

neurons are active in a gigantic spasm of signalling through a convoluted network of barriers,

inhibitors or activators, modulated in turn by the level of neurotransmitters swimming in your

blood due to emotional factors, everything culminating with a single decision: asking the

question. I am not thinking only of a “Does she love me?” type of question. It might be a

question you want to ask your boss or your teacher or an important customer. How you

phrase the question, at what moment in time, in public or in private, what assumptions do

you put in your question: all these are key factors that will influence the answer you get. Do

you plan ahead in choosing these factors or do you go on an impulse? At what moment do

you decide to open your mouth to ask the question? What if you make a fool of yourself?

Would the question be different depending on who is out there to answer it?

Isn’t it amazing that such an important skill is not part of the current educational curriculum?

For someone working in research, asking questions is the “modus vivendi”, the way of living,

it is essential for doing the research. This approach is also extremely valuable beyond work,

in everyday life, in how we receive and interpret news from the media or social networks.

Every statement can be questioned. What was the purpose of making that statement in the

first place? Which are the clear facts that can be checked independently and which are just

opinions? Why was the statement made at that time or in that place? For what audience?

What would be the perspective from the opposing point of view and why?

This is not about doubting everything. It is purely about communication, which can be

distorted by a bias “noise” introduced on purpose in order to achieve a specific outcome.

Essay 1/2016 https://au.linkedin.com/in/adrianbarbulescu

THE POWER OF ASKING QUESTIONS

We wonder about the world around us. After the gasp of amazement, the logical mind tries

to make sense of that wonder, to explain it based on previous experience. Alternatively, it

might start the quest for something new which it has never encountered before. This is the

“what if” chain of thought which might be impossible or might plant the seeds for more new

questions.

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without

accepting it” (Aristotle).

I am interested in the systematic way of thinking based on asking questions that, instead of

eliciting potentially quick responses, can lead to even more questions which are better

formulated, more specific, that can be quite helpful to understand the reason for asking in

the first place.

I am not proposing we should avoid answers, or always respond to a question with another

question. Instead, I advocate the importance of questions which are constructive, open,

inviting to explore rather than to provoke a closed answer, e.g., “yes” or “no”, or a defensive

reply. By refining our skill to ask questions, we might stimulate new perspectives on the topic

of interest and challenge the other party or ourselves to focus more on the key issues rather

than worry about the emotional impact of the answer.

“If I had an hour to solve a problem, and my life depended on the solution, I

would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask. For

once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five

minutes.” (Albert Einstein).

To learn about the power of asking questions I recommend the following links:

Anthony Robbins: Asking the Right Questions

Seven ways to ask better questions

http://changingminds.org/techniques/questioning/power_of_questions.htm

The Power Of Oprah Is The Power Of Questions

10 Best Ways to Harness the Power of Questions

The power of asking 'Why?': How it makes employees think and grow

Amanda Palmer: The art of asking

Why do we ask questions? Michael "Vsauce" Stevens at TEDxVienna

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socratic_questioning

The Role of Socratic Questioning in Thinking, Teaching, and Learning

The Socratic Method (Green Bag Article)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_Whys

http://www.theemotionmachine.com/the-power-of-asking-yourself-questions

The-Power-Asking-Right-Questions – e-book

The Art of Asking: Ask Better Questions, Get Better Answers – e-book

Leading with Questions: How Leaders Find the Right Solutions by Knowing What to

Ask – audio book

http://amorebeautifulquestion.com/book-on-questioning-by-warren-berger/