Chances are, you’ve been taught there is such a thing as a “good” and a “bad” type of question. Typically, this refers to open-ended questions (“good”), and closed questions (“bad”). This judgement is based on the likelihood of getting more than a one-word answer.
But have you ever asked yourself why we ask questions at all? The answer seems obvious at first glance – we ask questions to find something out. But there is much more to it than meets the eye.
This article:
- defines three key motivations for asking a question,
- explains how to effectively deploy positive motivations, and
- provides guidance on what to do if you or someone else falls into the trap of the third motivation.