One of the wonders of asking the right question is that it unlocks the quest to know more: learning. Does this translate to me asking more questions? Absolutely!

Knowing how to ask the right question is just like any other skill: it requires constant practice to attain mastery.

When asking questions, ensure you have the correct source and they realize what you need from them. 

• Do I need a factually correct answer?
• Do I need an expert opinion?
• Do I need a well-reasoned judgment?

Once you know what kind of information you need and who to ask, you need to pose your inquiries in a way that gets the most ideal information accordingly.

Ability to innovate relies on curiosity: willingness to seek out novel information.

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Questions and insightful answers foster smoother and more-effective interactions, they reinforce affinity and trust, and lead people towards the required revelation.

Question and answers have a power that goes far beyond matters of performance. The wellspring of all questions is wonder and curiosity and a capacity for pleasure.

When responding to queries, do it with a conviction that the magic of a conversation will produce a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Sustained personal engagement and inspiration require that we are consistently aware of the transformative joy that comes with asking and answering questions.

Asking questions will fetch you answers: data, facts and opinion. Understanding answers will bring about clarity and clarity will help you make an informed decision.

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Avoiding Yes or No Questions

Questions with “would,” “should,” “is,” “are,” and “do you think” should be avoided just as you’d avoid contracting the coronavirus. 

Answer to such questions will always lead to either a yes or no. It is a plague to good thinking; incomplete information is guaranteed.

Ask an open-ended question with your chest. This affords you the opportunity to get insights and additional information you might not have known existed.

Questions with “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” “how,” or “why” lead to people giving some thought to their answers and provide much more information.

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Clarity

Do not shy away from follow-up questions. Ask lots of questions.  If you don’t get satisfactory answers, ask again and ask why. Unless you are looking strictly for empirical facts as a researcher, there is some sort of assumption in the answer the other person is giving you.

Always go deeper! Ask them follow up questions until you are clear. Note that an abrupt interruption will gouge the line of thought of the person answering your question: and direct the conversation the way you want, not necessarily the way it should go.

In a bid to avoid such, be mindful about listening to what you are being told and use that to direct them back to the point in the next question when there is a natural pause.

Be comfortable with asking a question, waiting for response, listening to the response, waiting some more and then making necessary tweaks until you are satisfied.

Clarity will give you insight and let you make your own opinion about things.

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PS: People are more forthcoming when you ask questions in a casual way, rather than in a buttoned-up, official tone.