I always thought asking questions was easy, but answering them was hard. But as I moved ahead in my career, I realized my thinking was wrong. Nobody gave me a different view, so my initial thought process continued in circles. This made me think: Why don’t people ask the right questions in meetings? At first, I thought it was due to four reasons:
- Quid Pro Quo: Avoiding tough questions to escape being questioned rigorously in return.
- Lack of Essential Skills: Different skills are needed in B2C compared to B2B markets.
- Fearful Follower: Employees fear repercussions for questioning senior executives, even when they know something is wrong.
- Not Bothered: Indifference, with a “do whatever, I do not care” attitude.
However, understanding why people behave this way can be better explained psychologically. Charlie Munger beautifully described this 30 years ago, which is still relevant. Munger’s insights made me look beyond these initial reasons.
Psychological Insight and Framework
Munger’s talk made me understand the importance of understanding human behavior and biases. Being aware of these psychological factors is essential for asking better questions. This led me to explore frameworks that can help address these barriers systematically.
Introducing the HBR Framework
I came across a recent Harvard Business Review (HBR) article categorizing strategic questions into five types: investigative, speculative, productive, interpretive, and subjective. Each type serves a different purpose and helps in various situations.
Investigative: “What’s Known?”
These questions help managers or executives understand the core problem instead of getting stuck on its symptoms. In the automotive industry, the “five whys” method is commonly used to understand issues. Surprisingly, this technique is not widely used in other sectors.
Sample Questions:
- What happened?
- What is and isn’t working?
- What are the causes of the problem?
- How feasible and desirable is each option?
- What evidence supports our proposed plan?
Speculative: “What If?”
Speculative questions encourage exploring alternatives and creative solutions. Context is crucial here, as these questions can expand or refine the problem statement, leading to innovative solutions.
Sample Questions:
- What other scenarios might exist?
- Could we do this differently?
- What else might we propose?
- What can we simplify, combine, modify, reverse, or eliminate?
- What potential solutions have we yet to consider?
- What could be the reasons for an initiative to fail? (Charlie Munger’s idea of inverting, or one can call it premortem.)
Productive: “Now What?”
These questions focus on effective execution and assessing the availability of talent, capabilities, time, and other resources. They guide decision-making and determine the speed of execution.
Sample Questions:
- What is the next step?
- What do we need to achieve before taking it?
- Do we have the resources to move ahead?
- Do we know enough to proceed?
- Are we ready to decide?
Interpretive: “So, What?”
Interpretive questions involve deep reflection on the problem. They help connect the dots and build insights rather than treating the issue as an isolated incident.
Sample Questions:
- What did we learn from this new information?
- What does it mean for our present and future actions?
- What should be our overarching goal?
- How does this fit with that goal?
- What are we trying to achieve?
Subjective: “What’s Unsaid?”
These questions address the emotional and human aspects, unearthing hidden agendas, team alignment challenges, and unspoken emotions like greed, envy, assumptions, and frustrations.
Sample Questions:
- How do you really feel about this decision?
- Are there differences between what was said, what was heard, and what was meant?
- Have we consulted the right people?
- Are all stakeholders genuinely aligned?
- Are we overthinking the problem?
Actionable Steps to Improve Questioning Skills
- Reflect on Intentions: Before asking a question, think about your goal. Are you seeking information, encouraging discussion, or prompting reflection?
- Practice Active Listening: Pay close attention to responses and ask follow-up questions to delve deeper.
- Avoid Leading Questions: Neutrally frame your questions to avoid influencing the response.
- Embrace Curiosity: Approach each question with genuine curiosity and openness to new perspectives.
- Seek Feedback: After meetings, ask colleagues for feedback on your questioning technique to identify areas for improvement.
Applying this framework and following these steps can improve one’s ability to ask effective questions, leading to more productive and insightful conversations. The art of asking the right questions is not just about getting answers but about fostering understanding, innovation, and collaboration.