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President's Message
Start Asking Questions

by Travis Hunerdosse, PharmD, MBA, ICHP President

Have you considered questioning a skill that could be developed?  Or how your own answers to questions impact conversation?  If you are not asking questions, you may be missing an opportunity to make conversations more productive with your colleagues, boss, trainees, or preceptors.  Asking questions, or questioning, fosters learning and idea exchange.  Questioning provides energy for innovation, change, and process improvement.  Asking the right questions in the right way can also expose breakdowns in systems that put an organization at risk.  There are useful techniques that can be used in order to gain more from your questioning and how you answer others.

The act of conversation accomplishes two things; information exchange (learning) and impression management (liking).  Asking questions achieves both.  Questioning provides a channel for people to get to know one another and also demonstrates a genuine interest in the individual.  Believe it or not, people liked to be asked questions.  It makes them feel appreciated which in turn leaves a positive impression.

Consider this in context of a job interview.  During a traditional interview, the candidate is the one answering most of the questions.  They are also taking the opportunity to describe why they are the best candidate for the job, past experience, and qualifications.  What leaves a lasting (and good) impression is when the candidate asks questions.  Interviewees that ask questions demonstrate competence and an interest in the organization or the interviewer, develop a rapport, and learn key information that ensures that the position and the company are a good match.

In addition to beginning to ask questions, there are other factors that influence the quality of the conversation.  These factors are type, tone, sequence, and framing.  These can be taken into context when determining the desired outcome of the conversation.  Active listening is also crucial.   You are asking questions to gain information and learn.  Also you want to be able to respond effectively to ensure you are achieving your goals in the conversation.

Consider the following techniques when approaching your next conversation:

• Follow up questions.  Follow up questions demonstrate to the conversational partner that you are listening to their responses, care about what they have to contribute, and that you are interested in additional information.  This type of question establishes a relationship where both parties feel mutually respected and heard.  The best part of the follow up question is that it does not take much effort.  They do not have to be prepared ahead of time or require complex thinking.
• Open ended questions.  Use of open-ended questions keeps the conversation going and allow you to get the most information.  Keeping questions open-ended sparks thinking and encourages people to open up to provide a wide array of responses.  You may get an answer you were not expecting that unlocks a solution to a difficult problem.    On the other hand, while your conversational partner does not want to get back into a corner by getting asked yes or no questions, sometimes you need to ask more direct questions to get the response you are looking for.  Of course, it is important to keep these framed correctly so folks do not feel threatened.
• Sequence.  The order in which you ask questions may vary depending on the type of conversation you are having.  If your goal is to build relations with your conversational partner, start with less intrusive questions then escalate to more difficult ones to be most effective.  However, if the encounter may be tense, it is best to start with the sensitive or tough questions first and then de-escalate.  Used in tough situations, this tactic can make people more willing to open up. 
• Tone.  Your conversational partner will be more willing to open up when you ask questions in a casual manner versus a more formal approach.  People are also more willing to answer questions when they are given “an out” or know they are able to change their answer based on additional questions.  This holds true during brainstorming sessions.  If participants are using a white board and are able to erase their answers, people are more willing to freely share ideas and less likely to hold back.  Allowing information between individuals without inhibition leads to better learning and innovation.

Reference:

Wood Brooks, A., John, L.K.  The Surprising Power of Questions. HBR. May-June, 2018. pg 60-67.