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How to Ask Open-Ended Questions That Spark Good Conversation

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How to Ask Open-Ended Questions That Spark Good Conversation

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Did you know? When you ask someone questions about themselves, it makes you more likable!

But research shows, the way you ask a question makes a big difference, too.

Some of the best conversations start with open-ended questions that lead people to open up and form deeper connections.

In this article, we'll look at open-ended questions, their benefits, and various scenarios where you can use them to boost your conversation skills (and likeability!).

What are Open-Ended Questions?

Open-ended questions are questions that are designed to encourage people to share more than a one-word response and typically start with words like "what," "how," or "why." Open-ended questions help people expound on an idea or issue and carry the conversation forward without getting stunted in potentially awkward silence or little to no information for someone else to bounce off of.

Some of the best places to use open-ended questions include:

Social gatherings

Dates

Networking events

Job interviews

Feedback meetings

Sales calls

Brainstorming sessions

Qualitative survey data research

Counseling and therapy sessions

Conversations with kids (or anyone!)

Medical appointments

"Ask questions the other person will enjoy answering."
-Dale Carnegie

To avoid stunting your conversations, you may want to stay away from closed-ended questions. But what's the difference? Let's look at how to avoid those awkward silences.

What's the Difference Between Closed-Ended and Open-Ended Questions?

Closed-ended questions lead people to give a one-word response like "yes" or "no," whereas open-ended questions are great conversation starters or boosters that help bring energy to an interaction.

How you ask or write open-ended vs. closed-ended questions comes down to a few simple adjustments to the words you choose to ask your question.

To write a more open-ended question, think about where you want to lead the conversation and consider adjusting your opening words.

Open-ended questions often begin with words like this:

Closed-ended questions tend to start with words like this:

Open-ended vs. Close-ended Question Examples

Here are some examples of how you might start a conversation and the difference an open-ended, energizing question can make.

Let's say you're asking someone about their recent vacation. Which question do you think will lead to a more conversational response?

Closed-ended: Did you have a good vacation?

Open-ended: What was your favorite part of your vacation?

Let's say you're interviewing someone for a job. Which question will tell you more about them?

Close-ended: Are you an organized person?

Open-ended: What do you do throughout your day to stay organized?

Let's say you're on a date. Which question will make your date feel like you want to get to know them?

Closed-ended: Do you get along with your parents?

Open-ended: How do you get along with your parents?

Closed-ended questions may not always lead to "yes" or "no" responses. Sometimes they can lead to short answers as well. For example:
Closed-ended: What's your favorite color?
The answer to this question will likely be something short, like "blue."
Open-ended: What's your favorite color and why?
One simple way to turn this question into an open-ended question is not necessarily to dismiss the closed-ended question altogether, but to follow it up with an open-ended question as well. For example:

It should be noted that there is a time and place for closed-ended questions. They are not inherently "bad," but they generally don't work as well to keep conversations going.

Let's look at some of the benefits of open-ended questions and examples to keep your conversations going in different scenarios!

What are the Advantages and Benefits of Open-Ended Questions?

Why are open-ended questions important? Some of the best conversations are generated from open-ended questions that lead people to open up and form deeper connections.

Here are some of the other benefits of open-ended questions:

Bring energy to a conversation. By increasing likeability and simultaneously making others feel more confident, there's a natural energy induced into the conversation!

Reduce awkward silences. A close-ended question might cut a conversation short, but an open-ended question might keep it moving along.

Boost self-esteem. As people feel your interest in them with open-ended questions, they may get a confidence boost. Your interest makes them feel more interesting!

Provide better feedback. Instead of a one-sided view, open-ended questions provide a clearer picture from various perspectives about a situation, ultimately allowing people to solve problems better and address issues.

Encourage people to open up. Open-ended questions feel like permission to share feelings and ideas with others who are interested in hearing them.

Now that we understand what open-ended questions are and their benefits, let's dive into the best scenarios where we can use them with examples for each category.

110 Open-Ended Question Examples

Open-Ended Questions for Any Social Gathering

Open-ended questions are great for any social situation, and we have lots of great question ideas to spark conversation with anyone. Here are a few to get you started!

Open-Ended Questions for a Guy or Girl You're Dating

If you want to get to know someone on a deeper level, using thoughtful, open-ended questions is a great way to get there. They're also a great way to boost someone's self-esteem by making you appear more engaged and interested in what they have to share. Here are a few open-ended questions to ask on a date!

For more dating icebreakers, try one of these 131 non-awkward ideas!

Open-Ended Questions for Networking Events

Networking events are classic places for open-ended questions and icebreakers with people you're meeting for the first time. Want to avoid awkward silence? Use an open-ended question!

Open-Ended Questions for Job Interviews

Job interviews are a great place for both the interviewer and the interviewee to ask open-ended questions to help understand what each other is bringing to the table to inform better decision-making.

Questions for interviewers:

1. What's your greatest professional achievement?

2. How would your boss or coworkers describe you?

3. What motivates you?

4. How do you like to be managed?

5. What's something I should know about you that might not be on your resume?

Questions for interviewees:

1. What do you enjoy about working at the company?

2. What are your goals going into the next year?

3. How do you see this role best helping you achieve your goals?

4. What are your biggest opportunities going into next year?

5. What are the top three qualities you're looking for in this role?

Open-Ended Questions for Feedback Meetings

Open-ended questions, when you give and receive feedback, are a great way to open up a conversation and understand where the other side is coming from more clearly. Here are some questions you can ask after a project is complete:

Open-Ended Questions for Brainstorming Sessions

Open-ended questions used in brainstorming sessions are a great way to get people's juices and ideas flowing as they begin to open up their imaginations. Here are a few questions to get you started in your next brainstorming session.

Open-Ended Questions for Sales Conversations

Open-ended questions during a sales conversation help salespeople understand the needs of their customers and make them feel heard and understood. Here are some open-ended sales questions to put your potential customers at ease:

Open-Ended Questions for Surveys & Research

Open-ended questions are a great way for researchers in any industry to explore and expound upon their data, including some of the close-ended, quantitative responses.

For example, a survey might say, "Would you recommend our services to a friend?" They might then ask an open-ended question like, "Tell us why you would recommend our services to a friend." to explore the qualitative data behind the close-ended response.

Note that most of the questions below are written in the context of a product or service. However, survey questions vary by industry and purpose (e.g., scientists!). The most important thing to remember is to keep open-ended questions specific to your intention of providing qualitative data you can learn from.

Open-Ended Questions for Counseling & Therapy Sessions

Open-ended questions are common for counselors or therapists to ask clients because they help them process their feelings and thoughts more clearly. Here are a few open-ended questions you might hear during therapy:

Open-Ended Questions for Medical Appointments

Open-ended medical questions are helpful for those in healthcare to get a deeper understanding of the issues their patients might be experiencing. Here are some examples of open-ended questions from a doctor or nurse you might hear as a patient:

Open-Ended Questions for Conversations with Kids

Asking kids how their day is will often receive a short response. (Any parents out there relate?!) But if you can frame your questions to inspire them to share, you might be surprised by their openness (this goes for preschoolers all the way up to high schoolers!).

Master your conversation skills with this great resource from Science of People!

Open-Ended Questions FAQs

Why does an employer typically ask open-ended questions?

Employers and potential employers ask open-ended questions to give them a better understanding of who you are and what you're capable of.
Open-ended questions during the interview process often provide an opportunity for the interviewee to share stories about how they solved problems, overcame obstacles, or succeeded in a specific project. They also provide answers that help employers better determine whether or not to hire someone.
Open-ended questions are also an excellent way for employers to understand the processes their current employees go through so they can provide better feedback.

When should you use close-ended questions vs. open-ended questions?

Close-ended questions should be asked when you need a specific answer. An open-ended question should be asked when you're interested in qualitative information or a better understanding of someone's unique experience.
In a survey, for example, you might want to ask a close-ended question for a data point that needs to be measured, like, "Do you recommend this product?" However, to understand someone's unique experience, you might ask an open-ended question like, "Why don't you recommend this product?"
In the context of social interaction, close-ended questions are OK when you're looking for specific information: "When do you want to grab lunch?" However, you would ask an open-ended question to learn more about someone's unique perspective: "What are your favorite lunch places in the neighborhood?"

Why do educators use open-ended questions with their students?

Open-ended questions are a common tactic used by educators for inquiry-based learning. This method is used because open-ended questions often inspire greater curiosity and problem-solving. For example, rather than telling a student what to think, they are thoughtfully guided with open-ended questions to explore solutions to problems.

Open-Ended Questions Key Takeaways

In summary, remember these benefits of open-ended questions.

Bring energy to a conversation. By increasing likeability and simultaneously making others feel more confident, there's a natural energy induced into the conversation!

Reduce awkward silences. A close-ended question might cut a conversation short, but an open-ended question keeps it moving along.

Boost self-esteem. As people feel your interest in them with open-ended questions, they may get a confidence boost. Your interest makes them feel more interested!

Provide better feedback. Instead of a one-sided view, open-ended questions provide a clearer picture from various perspectives, ultimately allowing people to solve and address problems better.

Encourage people to open up. Open-ended questions feel like permission to share feelings and ideas with others interested in hearing them.

For more conversation-starter ideas, check out our article for 57 killer conversation-starters to start a conversation with anyone.

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How to Ask Open-Ended Questions That Spark Good Conversation

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Did you know? When you ask someone questions about themselves, it makes you more likable! But the way you ask a question makes a big difference too.

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Book Summary: Find Out What Other Really Think, Know, & Feel

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Book Summary: Find Out What Other Really Think, Know, & Feel

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40 Back Pocket Questions to Unleash Your Team's Intelligence

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40 Back Pocket Questions to Unleash Your Team's Intelligence

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Questions to Unleash Your Teams Intelligence

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Active Listening & Asking Great Questions Workshop

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The Remarkable Leadership Podcast | Warren Berger

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The Remarkable Leadership Podcast | Warren Berger

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Beautiful Questions with Warren Berger - The Remarkable Leadership Podcast

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200. A More Beautiful Question with Warren Berger

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The Brainy Business was on the horizon I decided to go out on a limb and asked Warren if he would be my guest for this special episode. He kindly agreed and here we are!

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HBR: The Art of Asking Smarter Questions

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HBR: The Art of Asking Smarter Questions

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Idea in Brief

The Situation

With organizations of all sorts facing increased urgency and uncertainty, the ability to ask smart questions has become key. But business professionals aren't formally trained in that skill.

Why It's So Challenging

Managers' expertise often blinds them to new ideas. And the flow of questions can be hard to process in real time, so certain concerns and insights may never be raised.

The Remedy

Strategic questions can be grouped into five domains: investigative, speculative, productive, interpretive, and subjective. By attending to each, leaders and teams are more likely to cover all the areas that need to be explored-and they'll surface information and options they might otherwise have missed.

As a cofounder and the CEO of the U.S. chipmaker Nvidia, Jensen Huang operates in a high-velocity industry requiring agile, innovative thinking. Reflecting on how his leadership style has evolved, he told the New York Times, "I probably give fewer answers and I ask a lot more questions....It's almost possible now for me to go through a day and do nothing but ask questions." He continued, "Through probing, I help [my management team]...explore ideas that they didn't realize needed to be explored."

A version of this article appeared in the May-June 2024 issue of Harvard Business Review.

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With organizations of all sorts facing increased urgency and unpredictability, being able to ask smart questions has become key. But unlike lawyers, doctors, and psychologists, business professionals are not formally trained on what kinds of questions to ask when approaching a problem. They must learn as they go.

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HBR: Good Leadership Is About Asking Good Questions

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HBR: Good Leadership Is About Asking Good Questions

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Leaders today need to revisit an overlooked skill: asking questions. In my 40 years as an executive and advisor in Silicon Valley, I've often seen leaders assume that people look to them for answers - bold assertions that build people's confidence in their competence. But in reality, that kind of approach erodes trust, especially at a time when so much is manifestly uncertain. You think you have the answers to all important questions? That suggests that you are either clueless - you have no idea how rapidly the world is changing - or that you are lying. In either case, you won't find that trust that you've been looking for.

Instead, leaders should ask powerful and inspiring questions, convey that they don't have the answers, and solicit others' help to find them. The leaders I talk to tend to be nervous about this approach: Won't it look like they don't know what they're doing? On the contrary, however, research has shown that expressing vulnerability and asking for help is a strong signal to others that you are trusting, and you're more likely to be trusted in return. In fact, if you can learn to ask questions well, it can help you connect with others. Thinking together can put you on the path to solving intractable problems and sparking innovative thinking.

This article is one in a series related to the 12th Global Peter Drucker Forum, with the theme "Leadership Everywhere." See the program here.

Ask Big Questions

To be clear: I'm not saying you should ask pointed questions that put others on the spot, like "How can you deliver 10% higher productivity?" or "Are you missing anything here?" The kind of questions leaders need to ask are those that invite people to come together to explore major new opportunities that your organization hasn't identified yet. Here are some examples:

What is a game-changing opportunity that could create much more value than we have delivered in the past?

What are emerging unmet needs of our customers that could provide the foundation for an entirely new business?

How could we leverage the resources of third parties to address a broader range of the needs of our customers?

How can we move from standardized, mass-market products and services to personalizing our products and services to the specific needs of each customer?

How can we develop supply networks that would be more flexible in responding to unanticipated disruptions in production or logistics?

How could we harness sensor technology to create more visibility into how our customers are using our products and use this information to deliver more value and deepen trust with our customers?

Focusing your questions on these kinds of new and big opportunities rather than on the existing activities of the organization can also help you to sidestep your fear that questioning will be seen as a sign of weakness, since there's no way you could be expected to know the answers.

These broader questions also communicate that you have a sense of ambition, that you want to take the organization way beyond where it is today. And you can bolster your credibility by providing evidence of those long-term trends that underlie your question - for example, emerging technologies that are likely to offer new opportunities, or demographic shifts that will create some significant unmet needs among your customers.

Involve Others

These questions also invite collaboration. To make the most of them, don't ask them in closed leadership meetings. Instead, broadcast them throughout your organization and even beyond it. It's not just you posing a question to your people, it's your brand reaching out to learn from its consumers. Reaching out beyond the institution to connect with expertise and perspectives from a broader set of more diverse sources will help your company learn faster.

For example, take Domino's Pizza. About 10 years ago, Domino's was hearing from customers that they did not like the company's pizza. Many organizations might have tried to hide this information or work behind the scenes to correct the problem. Domino's Pizza did something different. They made public the feedback they were receiving and asked for suggestions on how they could improve the quality of their pies. This open question generated an avalanche of suggestions that proved very helpful in improving the pizzas.

But beyond an open innovation success, the impact was even more fundamental: by expressing vulnerability, I believe that the company built trust with customers. Here was a company that was willing to acknowledge they had a problem and to ask for help in addressing the problem. If more organizations were willing to ask for help from their customers and other stakeholders when experiencing a problem, they would likely have much greater success in re-building trust.

Change Your Culture

Anxiety can run high in volatile times, and by asking these kinds of questions you can help people overcome some of their fears. It's well established in the psychology field that coming together with others can reduce anxiety - that's the idea behind group therapy. And achieving real impact can also help overcome feelings of being overwhelmed. Thus by helping people to focus on short-term actions they can take together, your questions can provide a focusing and calming effect during a crisis.

By asking questions as a leader, you also communicate that questioning is important. You'll inspire people to identify new opportunities and to ask for help when they need it. These behaviors lead to a culture of learning, which is critical, since the institutions that will thrive in the future are those that encourage everyone to learn faster and more rapidly expand the value that they deliver to their stakeholders.

This will be especially true if you encourage exploration that can generate new insights into potential answers to your questions, rather than simply expecting complete answers and nothing less. This will encourage people to make small moves initially that can quickly help to increase excitement about the question since participants can quickly begin to see progress. As early answers to your question begin to emerge (as a result of experiments or research, for example), share them, even if they are not groundbreaking. They'll contribute to your culture of learning and show your stakeholders that your questioning is generating new insights, increasing their confidence in your methods.

Leaders who ask powerful questions have the greatest success in both seizing new opportunities and addressing unexpected challenges - and they build cultures that will carry these benefits into the future.

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Good Leadership Is About Asking Good Questions

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Especially when they find themselves in the midst of crisis and uncertainty, leaders should ask powerful and inspiring questions. Asking questions well can put you on the path to solving intractable problems and will also help you connect with others and, counterintuitively, to earn their trust.

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A More Beautiful Question: They All Started with a Question

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A More Beautiful Question: They All Started with a Question

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They all started with a question - A More Beautiful Question

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Many breakthrough ideas or new ways of thinking can be traced back to a beautiful question, like those below. You'll find more of these fascinating question-based "origin stories" in A More Beautiful Question.

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NYTimes: The Beauty of a ‘Walk and Talk’

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NYTimes: The Beauty of a ‘Walk and Talk’

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Taking a stroll with someone is a wonderful way to strengthen your social connections.

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Forbes: 9 Questions To Ask Your Boss In An End-Of-Year Review

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Forbes: 9 Questions To Ask Your Boss In An End-Of-Year Review

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Business people shaking hands in the office. Group of business persons in business meeting. Three ... [+]
getty

If you find end-of-year reviews stressful, you're not alone. However, like all other interactions with your boss, it can be a time to show your interest and shine. Asking thoughtful and strategic questions demonstrates engagement, commitment, and desire for growth. So, if you want to keep up the good work into 2024, here are nine questions to ask in an end-of-year review:

What were our team's most significant accomplishments?

You probably already have an idea of your team's biggest accomplishments, but a question like this helps make sure your values are aligned with your boss, and that you have a clear sense of your bosses' goals.

Where can I improve?

In all likelihood, your boss will tell you this. But in the event that they don't, or if they only have positive feedback, it's always good to ask. Not only does it show that you want to improve, it offers a chance to get there.

Where have I excelled?

This question goes beyond making you feel good (though it does that, too!). If you get a sense of where you excelled, you'll begin to better understand your strengths.

What new opportunities are there for success?

It's always good to indicate an interest in growing. If you know what opportunities may arise in 2024, you'll have a better sense of how to develop your skillset to fit them.

What are the biggest challenges for 2024?

This lets your boss know you're on the same team, and in it together.

What steps can I take to advance to the next stage of my career?

Clear directives are always useful. Whether your boss suggests volunteering for more projects, getting certified in something outside or work, or mingling more with other teams, getting feedback on how to excel is critical.

What projects would be a good fit for me?

If your boss gives you exact projects, you not only know who to get in touch with, but you also have something to look forward to. Besides, you'll get some insight into where the company is heading, which is always helpful.

How can I improve my communication?

Communication is so often over-looked. Your boss' advice may be as specific as getting into more Slack channels, or it might be more general, like thinking carefully about the tone of emails. No matter what, though, checking in on communication is a great idea.

How can I improve team culture?

Just one more indication that you're committed to the team. Besides, a positive team culture benefits absolutely everyone.

These questions show your commitment to personal and professional growth, your interest in the success of the team, and your willingness to align your efforts with the company's goals. And remember-the end-of-year review is nerve-wracking, but it's intended to help you.

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9 Questions To Ask Your Boss In An End-Of-Year Review

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If you find end-of-year reviews stressful, you're not alone. Fortunately, there are ways to make sure the review is as helpful to you as possible.

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Book of Beautiful Questions - Question Index

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Book of Beautiful Questions - Question Index

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A More Beautiful Question - What's Your Inquiry Quotient Quiz

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A More Beautiful Question - What's Your Inquiry Quotient Quiz

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A More Beautiful Question by Warren Berger

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What's Your Inquiry Quotient?

Please wait while the activity loads. If this activity does not load, try refreshing your browser. Also, this page requires javascript. Please visit using a browser with javascript enabled.

If loading fails, click here to try again

Wondering whether you're a natural Beautiful Questioner or not? Answer these 10 quick questions and then see how you score.

Thanks for completing the What's Your Inquiry Quotient? test!

Your I.Q. score is %%SCORE%% out of %%TOTAL%%.

See the explanations for each answer below.

Your answers are highlighted below.

{To take the Quiz again, refresh the page.}

Tens of thousands of people have now taken this quiz! Share it with your friends with inquiring minds.

Shortened page link: http://bit.ly/InquiryQuiz

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QUIZ: What's Your Inquiry Quotient (I.Q.)? | A More Beautiful Question

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Wondering whether you're a natural Beautiful Questioner? Take this quick quiz to see how you rank...

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HBR: Good Leadership Is About Asking Good Questions

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HBR: Good Leadership Is About Asking Good Questions

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Leaders today need to revisit an overlooked skill: asking questions. In my 40 years as an executive and advisor in Silicon Valley, I've often seen leaders assume that people look to them for answers - bold assertions that build people's confidence in their competence. But in reality, that kind of approach erodes trust, especially at a time when so much is manifestly uncertain. You think you have the answers to all important questions? That suggests that you are either clueless - you have no idea how rapidly the world is changing - or that you are lying. In either case, you won't find that trust that you've been looking for.

Instead, leaders should ask powerful and inspiring questions, convey that they don't have the answers, and solicit others' help to find them. The leaders I talk to tend to be nervous about this approach: Won't it look like they don't know what they're doing? On the contrary, however, research has shown that expressing vulnerability and asking for help is a strong signal to others that you are trusting, and you're more likely to be trusted in return. In fact, if you can learn to ask questions well, it can help you connect with others. Thinking together can put you on the path to solving intractable problems and sparking innovative thinking.

This article is one in a series related to the 12th Global Peter Drucker Forum, with the theme "Leadership Everywhere." See the program here.

Ask Big Questions

To be clear: I'm not saying you should ask pointed questions that put others on the spot, like "How can you deliver 10% higher productivity?" or "Are you missing anything here?" The kind of questions leaders need to ask are those that invite people to come together to explore major new opportunities that your organization hasn't identified yet. Here are some examples:

What is a game-changing opportunity that could create much more value than we have delivered in the past?

What are emerging unmet needs of our customers that could provide the foundation for an entirely new business?

How could we leverage the resources of third parties to address a broader range of the needs of our customers?

How can we move from standardized, mass-market products and services to personalizing our products and services to the specific needs of each customer?

How can we develop supply networks that would be more flexible in responding to unanticipated disruptions in production or logistics?

How could we harness sensor technology to create more visibility into how our customers are using our products and use this information to deliver more value and deepen trust with our customers?

Focusing your questions on these kinds of new and big opportunities rather than on the existing activities of the organization can also help you to sidestep your fear that questioning will be seen as a sign of weakness, since there's no way you could be expected to know the answers.

These broader questions also communicate that you have a sense of ambition, that you want to take the organization way beyond where it is today. And you can bolster your credibility by providing evidence of those long-term trends that underlie your question - for example, emerging technologies that are likely to offer new opportunities, or demographic shifts that will create some significant unmet needs among your customers.

Involve Others

These questions also invite collaboration. To make the most of them, don't ask them in closed leadership meetings. Instead, broadcast them throughout your organization and even beyond it. It's not just you posing a question to your people, it's your brand reaching out to learn from its consumers. Reaching out beyond the institution to connect with expertise and perspectives from a broader set of more diverse sources will help your company learn faster.

For example, take Domino's Pizza. About 10 years ago, Domino's was hearing from customers that they did not like the company's pizza. Many organizations might have tried to hide this information or work behind the scenes to correct the problem. Domino's Pizza did something different. They made public the feedback they were receiving and asked for suggestions on how they could improve the quality of their pies. This open question generated an avalanche of suggestions that proved very helpful in improving the pizzas.

But beyond an open innovation success, the impact was even more fundamental: by expressing vulnerability, I believe that the company built trust with customers. Here was a company that was willing to acknowledge they had a problem and to ask for help in addressing the problem. If more organizations were willing to ask for help from their customers and other stakeholders when experiencing a problem, they would likely have much greater success in re-building trust.

Change Your Culture

Anxiety can run high in volatile times, and by asking these kinds of questions you can help people overcome some of their fears. It's well established in the psychology field that coming together with others can reduce anxiety - that's the idea behind group therapy. And achieving real impact can also help overcome feelings of being overwhelmed. Thus by helping people to focus on short-term actions they can take together, your questions can provide a focusing and calming effect during a crisis.

By asking questions as a leader, you also communicate that questioning is important. You'll inspire people to identify new opportunities and to ask for help when they need it. These behaviors lead to a culture of learning, which is critical, since the institutions that will thrive in the future are those that encourage everyone to learn faster and more rapidly expand the value that they deliver to their stakeholders.

This will be especially true if you encourage exploration that can generate new insights into potential answers to your questions, rather than simply expecting complete answers and nothing less. This will encourage people to make small moves initially that can quickly help to increase excitement about the question since participants can quickly begin to see progress. As early answers to your question begin to emerge (as a result of experiments or research, for example), share them, even if they are not groundbreaking. They'll contribute to your culture of learning and show your stakeholders that your questioning is generating new insights, increasing their confidence in your methods.

Leaders who ask powerful questions have the greatest success in both seizing new opportunities and addressing unexpected challenges - and they build cultures that will carry these benefits into the future.

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Good Leadership Is About Asking Good Questions

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Especially when they find themselves in the midst of crisis and uncertainty, leaders should ask powerful and inspiring questions. Asking questions well can put you on the path to solving intractable problems and will also help you connect with others and, counterintuitively, to earn their trust.

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HBR: Critical Thinking is About Asking  Better Questions

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HBR: Critical Thinking is About Asking  Better Questions

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Critical thinking is the ability to analyze and effectively break down an issue in order to make a decision or find a solution. At the heart of critical thinking is the ability to formulate deep, different, and effective questions. For effective questioning, start by holding your hypotheses loosely. Be willing to fundamentally reconsider your initial conclusions - and do so without defensiveness. Second, listen more than you talk through active listening. Third, leave your queries open-ended, and avoid yes-or-no questions. Fourth, consider the counterintuitive to avoid falling into groupthink. Fifth, take the time to stew in a problem, rather than making decisions unnecessarily quickly. Last, ask thoughtful, even difficult, follow-ups.

Are you tackling a new and difficult problem at work? Recently promoted and trying to both understand your new role and bring a fresh perspective? Or are you new to the workforce and seeking ways to meaningfully contribute alongside your more experienced colleagues? If so, critical thinking - the ability to analyze and effectively break down an issue in order to make a decision or find a solution - will be core to your success. And at the heart of critical thinking is the ability to formulate deep, different, and effective questions.

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Critical Thinking Is About Asking Better Questions

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Critical thinking is the ability to analyze and effectively break down an issue in order to make a decision or find a solution. At the heart of critical thinking is the ability to formulate deep, different, and effective questions. For effective questioning, start by holding your hypotheses loosely.

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The four questions you need to solve different types of problems.