How to Ask Questions That Get The Results You Want

The quality of outcomes depends greatly on the quality of the questions asked.

The lack of personal accountability is plaguing organisations and preventing real solutions being found. In turn, our sense of accountability determines how we frame the questions we ask. Too often questions are framed in the context of blame or complaint.

Questions beginning with 'why have' often end up in a pity party. Asking 'why' only seeks to place blame elsewhere instead of taking ownership of a problem and finding a solution.

Inappropriate questions represented a lack of personal accountability. In the culture of success, individuals are reluctant to admit failure, in spite of failure being the greatest opportunities for learning and growth. This lack of accountability is driven by the fear of reprimand and recrimination. The pathway to greater growth and transformation is in changing our thinking and asking more personally accountable questions. When we ask, and are asked better questions, our lives and our organizations are transformed.

Personal accountability is a state of mind. It's about continually asking 'what can I do to help out?' and 'how can I provide value to you?'.

These positive, action-based questions make the difference in the answers that appear.
For instance, ask 'what more can we do with what we have?'; instead of asking for more to do what you already do.

In a negative culture, our first reactions to any question are often negative, and bring into mind further incorrect questions. In a positive culture, each decision we make helps us discipline our thoughts to look behind initial questions and answers to find even better ones, ones that will ultimately lead us to better results.

This is the principal of drill-down and drill-across capabilities in business intelligence tools. By applying the process used in technology to our personal habits we can transform the quality of our personal outcomes. It's a simple matter of - ask a better question, get a better answer.

Guidelines For Better Questions

Structure your questions so they:

1. Begin with what or how; not Why, When or Who
2. Contain I; not They, Them, We or You
3. Focus on action

Instead of asking why something is so difficult or not working, ask 'what can I do to make things better?

©Gail La Grouw. To learn more about how you can free yourself from the blame, complain or procrastination habit and adopt healthier ways to ask questions and solve problems, get a copy of The Logical Organization here.

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