Is it more important to have the answer? Or the right question?
It’s wonderful to arrive at answers. From what to have for dinner to the meaning of life (and everything in between) answers provide clarity, certainty and a way forward.
And they help us demonstrate what we know. But often times it’s the question that is asked that helps get not just to an answer, but the best answer.
“What would you like for dinner?” can yield a much different result, with a lot more possibilities, than “Would you like Pizza or Spaghetti?”
Science and math often have only one correct answer to a problem. A specific problem. But unless you work in these disciplines there are not many problems that need to be solved in a career in business that have only one single, clear, correct answer.
Often a number of alternatives can be right. And it is often the process that gets you to an answer that is important to get you, and the people you work with, to the best outcomes.
And that process – is to ask questions.
Questions can help you:
- find out what other people think, their preferences and needs
- uncover issues or concerns that you weren’t aware of
- learn new information
- be offered alternatives or ideas that you didn’t think of. Or even know existed.
- confirm that your own thinking was correct (nice when this happens!)
- have an interaction with someone that stimulates your own thinking and ideas
- check your understanding of a situation or what you’ve been told
And countless more benefits!
From my experience there are 3 additional very significant benefits to asking questions that can impact on your effectiveness at work and credibility.
What are they I hear you ask?
1. Relationship building.
Asking questions is a great way to build a relationship with another person. It also applies to building relationships in groups, teams, departments and even across organizations. (They’re all made up of people, right?)
Questions can help you do this by:
- demonstrating your respect for the other person by seeking their opinion
- acknowledging their expertise
- actively encouraging their involvement in an issue through discussion
Questions encourage conversation.
Conversation is communication. Good communication.
And you never know what you will learn…
2. Demonstrate your knowledge.
Asking questions actually provides you with an opportunity to demonstrate what you know, how much you understand about a topic or at the very least, the thought processes you have followed to get to your question.
Others will judge your competence and your credibility by the quality of the questions that you ask.
There are plenty of occasions in business when the questions you ask can be more important than the answers you give.
Take a job interview. I’ve interviews hundreds of people over the years for jobs and promotions. It is often the answer to the casual question at the end of the interview, “Do you have any questions for me about the job/role/company”, that is one of the most important.
Too often the answer is “No, I think I’m right. I know what I need to know for now” Really? How can they possibly know everything they need to know? Aren’t they meant to be assessing whether the role/company/me as manager is right for them? (That’s a big fat fail in my books – just in case you were wondering!)
But ask a quality question that demonstrates good knowledge or demonstrates your thinking …and this can be more insightful for the interviewer than the answers that have been given to technical or procedural questions in the interview.
This is just one example of many work situations where questions are vital!
3. Contribute to discussions.
Have you ever been in a meeting where you are not the main speaker or the subject matter expert?
Have you felt a bit awkward about speaking up?
A question is the answer!
A well thought out question that demonstrates your understanding of the topic, your thought processes or even that you were listening can do a lot for your credibility. And it gives you a chance to contribute.
The Career Tip To Go:
The ability to ask questions is a skill all in itself.
The benefits to your credibility, effectiveness at work and relationships with others make it an area well worth investing some time and effort.
Would you like to learn how to ask more questions? Next time you go to say something, how about thinking how you could reword your thought/comment and ask it as a question?
You never know what you’ll learn. Do you?
Like more career tips?
[mc4wp_form id=”1429″]
Karen Adamedes is an experienced executive, author and career-tipster. In her most recent book ‘Professional in Pajamas: 101 Tips for Working from Home’ Karen shares many of the insights she has gained during a decade of working from home, where she has negotiated multi-million dollar deals, led national teams and delivered major projects. She does admit to sometimes working in her pajamas.
Leave a Reply