Are you asking insightful questions? Great questions can provoke real insight and lay the foundation for change. Make sure you put aside your agenda and ask questions that assume capability.
How to do it:
Ask insightful questions to tap into the creative brain. Use this two-part formula:
Imagine what's possible.
- "Imagine if..."
- "Think about a time when..."
- "Suppose you could..."
Then ask an open-ended question.
- "How would you..."
- "What did you do..."
- "Where do you think..."
Check for insight. Assume capability--seek out the other person's solution, not your own.
Here are some options of what you can say.
Ask insightful questions:
- "Imagine the challenges weren't there. What is the outcome you want?"
- "Think about a time when... How would you approach this situation?"
- "Suppose you could... What would you do differently than you are doing now?"
Check for insight:
- "I know you've been thinking about solving the problem. Shall we talk about your next steps?"
- "How might you approach this differently now?"
- "If you were giving advice to someone facing the same situation, what would you say?"
- "Have you had any insight you could share?" (Follow-up: If the answer is "No," ask permission to share your thoughts.)