The question frames and shapes the answer.
- The question “How far away from home are you?” asks for the number of miles you will travel.
- The question “When will you get home?” asks for the time you’ll open your front door.
Who asks the question also frames and shapes the answer — if we are paying attention. After all, a person is asking
- When the boss asks, “How’s it going?”, answering “Fine” offers in-kind social grease.
- When the boss asks, “Hows the project going?”, saying the status of key milestones works. It also works to follow the question with “Is there something else you’d like to know? Would you like me to update you more frequently?” This response demonstrates your accountability for the work and the relationship.
Asking better questions gets better results. Check out these books:
- QBQ! The Question Behind the Question
- Book of Beautiful Questions
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