Good questions stimulate deep reflection, often unexpected insights, and occasionally, transformational breakthroughs. Not-so-good questions do none of that.
What’s the difference?
Not-so-good questions…
- Offend others
- Diminish others
- Feel judgmental
- Seem interrogational
- Stymie meaningful exchange
Impactful questions…
- Invite deep reflection
- Lead toward new insight
- Convey value in participants
- Generate safe and productive discourse
- Accelerate learning (individual and collective)
It’s not the question mark (?) that holds the magic. The intention of the inquirer makes all the difference. It starts with an assumption of…
“There seems something here we don’t fully understand, and might be able to learn together.”
*If you’d like to read more of nc’s blatherings, go to nc’s Recursive Learning.
Nelson Coulter
Nelson Coulter has held a lot of titles: rancher, educator, author, musician, entrepreneur, coach, mentor, consultant, and professor. He has coached, taught, and been published in many settings. He has served in public schools of all shapes, sizes, and contexts. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice at Louisiana State University - Shreveport. His most cherished titles, however, are the ones not attached to career identity: son, husband, dad, and granddad.
