One of the most valuable skills I adopted early in my career and have carried with me through various roles, companies, and projects is the art of asking questions. At Ideba, we take our third-party perspective seriously and are used to asking questions to help grow our understanding. However, it’s also common to feel hesitant to ask questions to avoid being perceived as unprepared, seen to be wasting time, or simply not feeling that your concerns have a spot at the table.
Asking the right questions, in the right way and at the right time, adds far more value to a conversation than simply staying quiet out of fear or embarrassment. Good questions come from a place of humility and curiosity – you need to accept not knowing as much as someone else or that you may simply be missing critical context. With that in mind, here are a few of my tips on asking questions that will actually get you answers:
- Ask questions to understand. Good questions are framed in the humility of knowing you don’t know everything. Assume good intentions, recognize your knowledge gaps, focus your questions on the most critical factors, and go from there.
- Pick your moment and know your audience. It’s important to understand what is most pressing and who is best equipped to answer a question you may have. Being mindful of the meeting context and participants can help others see that you understand and respect priorities and each person’s expertise enough to stay on topic.
- When raising a problem, offer a solution. When raising a question on practices, if you have an idea for how to resolve a problem, bring that up at the same time. This opens a conversation on what the best practice should be as well as gives you an opportunity to showcase your understanding. If you don’t have a solution, say so and share what next step you’ll take to find one.
- Trust your instincts. Maybe my most important tip is to always trust your instincts. Remember, if something isn’t adding up for you, you’re probably not alone. Asking questions is critical to keeping projects on track by ensuring everyone’s on the same page and may uncover that more discussions are needed.
If you are approaching a situation with curiosity, humility, timing, and being solution-oriented, your questions are worthy, important, and valued. Best case you’ve opened a new perspective others hadn’t considered, and second-best case, you learn something from everyone else at the table.
Kaila Joynes – Senior Consulting Manager
