<aside> 💡 "The best thing a human being can do is to help another human being know more." - Charlie Munger

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Unlike other internal wiki’s or knowledge centres, you might have used to search for answers in your organization, inqli is designed for:

• Questions that elicit diverse perspectives and experiences that aren’t written down.
• Complex questions where multiple areas of expertise are valuable
• Questions about existing content where context and perspective are required

Question Starters

Asking questions effectively is crucial for enhancing communication skills, developing positive relationships, and fostering productive solutions in your professional interactions. Effective questioning can lead to improved interpersonal skills, refined critical thinking, clearer conversations, accurate assessments of knowledge, effective coaching, reflective thinking, diffusing tense situations, and persuasive communication.

Here are 10 questioning techniques with example questions that will help you ask the right question to access the knowledge you’re seeking:

1. Open Questions: Foster in-depth discussion and detail gathering.
   • "What were the key takeaways from the client feedback?"
   • "Could everyone share their thoughts on how we can enhance our current virtual meeting setup to make our discussions more engaging?”
2. Closed Questions: Provide direct answers, often yes or no.
   • "Have you completed the report?"
   • "Has anyone completed the client feedback summary for this month?”
3. Probing Questions: Dig deeper for more specific information.
   • "What specific features did the client request for the new software?"
   • "Can anyone elaborate on the specific features the client requested during our last project call?"
4. Funnel Questions: Start broad and narrow down to specifics.
   • "What are your general views on remote work? How does it impact your daily productivity?"
   • "I'd love to hear general opinions on remote work. Specifically, how do you manage distractions and stay productive throughout the day?"
5. Leading Questions: Guide the respondent towards a particular answer.
   • "Considering the high satisfaction scores, we can move ahead with the current project plan, right?"
   • "Given our team's positive feedback on the last project, should we consider adopting a similar approach for our next assignment?"
6. Clarifying Questions: Ensure understanding and correctness of information.
   • "So, you're suggesting we adjust our strategy to focus more on digital marketing, correct?"
   • "Just to be clear, are we shifting our focus primarily to digital marketing for the upcoming campaign?"
7. Rhetorical Questions: Used for effect, not requiring an answer.
   • "Isn't it better to aim high and miss than to aim low and hit?"
   • "Isn't it exciting to think about the innovative projects we could tackle with the latest technology updates?"
8. Recall Questions: Ask for remembered facts or information.
   • "Can you recall the main objectives outlined in our Q1 strategy meeting?"
   • "Does anyone remember the key goals we set during our first quarter planning session?"
9. Contingency Questions: Apply to specific situations or conditions.
   • "If you have used our software for more than a year, how has it impacted your workflow efficiency?"
   • "For those who've been using the new project management tool, how has it changed the way you plan your workday?"
10. Process Questions: Encourage critical thinking and opinion sharing.
    • "How do you perceive the impact of recent technological advancements on our industry standards?"
    • "What are your views on our new project delivery strategies?"

Effective questioning involves more than just the content of the questions. When framing questions in a digital forum, it's also helpful to provide some context for your questions, encourage a variety of viewpoints, and thank colleagues for their input to foster a positive and inclusive online community environment. These techniques will not only help you to gather the knowledge you’re looking for, but they’ll also help you build rapport, encourage openness, and foster an environment of mutual respect and understanding.