How Can I Ask Questions to Get the Information I Need to do my Job?

Your job demands questions to accomplish the following:

  1. Questions for inquiry or fact-finding: getting the facts to solve problems or make decisions.
  2. Questions for confirmation: confirm facts previously gathered or conclusions made.
  3. Rhetorical questions: evoke introspection and contemplation.

Each purpose demands a different set of questions:

For the purpose of inquiry, start by asking open-ended questions to gather facts. Postpone closed (yes or no) questions until confirmation of facts is needed. Make certain you ask your questions in a logical sequence. Start by defining the problem, then identify possible causes. Next, identify the true cause of the problem before asking questions to gather ideas from the employee or colleague or customer about how to solve it.

Don’t come to a conclusion until you’ve gathered all the information you need to make a well-considered decision.

Confirmation questions are the yes or no questions mentioned earlier: " Is it true that you weren’t here at 9:00 this morning when Mr. Crawford called?" "Were you rude to Rene at lunch?" "Have you completed the report for me?"

When you want people to think about what they’re doing, you should ask a rhetorical question: "Why do you work as hard as you do?" Or, "What does quality really mean?" "Have you ever wondered why customers choose to buy from us and not our competitors?"

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Questions can be powerful—not just in the information they provide, but in the impact they can have on the flow of a conversation. For instance, when discussion meanders, you can get back on track with a question. Or when you’re at a loss for words, you can ask a question. Questions, then, buy you time to think. Questions also will help whenever you’re under attack. You might ask an employee who disagrees with your suggestion, "Why do you believe my idea won’t work?" Or let’s assume a colleague gets upset about a remark you made in a group meeting, you might ask, "What have I said to make you feel that way?" Questions can also help when a customer complains: "Please tell me exactly what went wrong?" "What will it take to get you back as a customer?"

As with any conversation, monitor nonverbal cues when asking questions. You want to ask questions in a genuinely inquisitive tone of voice, with an anticipatory look on your face and in a nonthreatening posture. No matter the words you use, if your voice, facial expression, or posture communicates condescension, the response to your questions will be reflective of your body language.