Questions are the lifeblood of communication. Without questions, we only have statements – cold, certain, absolute. If there is no room for curiosity, there is no room for growth or change.
But not all questions are created equal and, sometimes, a question can do more harm than good.
This week, Elke Wiss – trainer, speaker, facilitator, author of Socrates in Sneakers, and self-styled ‘Thinking Doctor’– joins me on workshops work to explore how we can ask better questions. We cover so much, from Socratic Philosophy and psychological safety to lattes vs. cappuccinos.
Find out about
What separates good and bad questions
Why “why” questions can be simultaneously revelatory and destructive
Whether we can train our curiosity to be childlike again
How to create spaces in which you can ask questions that might usually feel unsafe
Feeling inspired by the conversation in this episode? We can have our own – take a seat at my virtual table as part of a Mastermind Group.
A huge thank you must go to SessionLab, the sponsor of Workshops Work. Claim your free two months of SessionLab Pro now – this deal is exclusive to Workshops Work listeners!
Questions and Answers
01:25Do you call yourself a facilitator?
02:03Where did your fascination with questions come from?
06:46Do you have a set of questions to inspire your creative process?
11:30What makes a good question?
13:00Can one learn to be curious?
17:00What is it about “why” questions that makes them feel so sharp?
20:25How do you create a space that feels safe for asking questions?
25:48What makes us shift away from the curiosity of childhood?
30:56What makes a workshop fail?
32:02How can we invite groups to ask questions?
33:27What is your favourite question?
34:48What would be your hashtag?
37:19How can we end the process of questioning?
38:48 Is it more dangerous to ask the wrong question, or to take the first answer you receive?
40:58What makes a bad question?
46:57Is there anything else you wanted to highlight?