THE ART OF - University Of Manitoba

a compelling question. Here are some of theirreflections:Finn Voldtofte (Denmark): The question has to catchpeople where they are, to meet them where thereis the most energy and relevance for them, andthen use that energy to go deeper. Action willflow naturally from that energy.Felipe Herzenborn (Mexico):The question also needsto be simple and clear and penetrating. It’s like alaser beam. A good question invites and challenges you to reflect at a deeper level—to find theknowledge or wisdom that’s already thereWhat Makes a Question Powerful?beneath the surface.In a wonderfully evocative description, Fran Peavey, aVerna Allee (U.S.): To me, the mostpioneer in the use of strategic quesenergizing questions are those thattions, observes:involve people’s values, hopes, and“Questions can be like a lever you“A PARADIGM SHIFTideals—questions that relate touse to pry open the stuck lid on aOCCURS WHEN Asomething that’s larger than them,paint can. . . . If we have a shortQUESTION IS ASKEDwhere they can connect and conlever, we can only just crack openINSIDE THE CURRENTtribute. People don’t have a lot ofthe lid on the can. But if we have aPARADIGM THAT CANenergy around questions that arelonger lever, or a more dynamiconly about removing pain.question, we can open that can upONLY BE ANSWEREDDavid Isaacs (U.S.): Even though it’smuch wider and really stir thingsFROM OUTSIDE IT.”useful to acknowledge pain, I thinkup. . . . If the right question isMARILEE GOLDBERG,it’s also important to shift the quesapplied, and it digs deep enough,THE ART OF THE QUESTIONtion away from a problem focus orthen we can stir up all thefix-it focus to a possibility focus.creative solutions.”There’s always a subtle feeling of disempowerment in a problem,a feelingWhile you may not immediatelythat all the doors are shut.“We’ve gotknow the characteristics of a powerful question, it’sa problem . . . oh no! Not another problem!”There’sactually quite easy to recognize one. For instance, if youa weariness and stuckness about it. Simply asking,were an Olympic judge scoring the power of questions“What’s the possibility we see in this situation?”canon a scale from one to ten (with ten being the highest),make a big difference.how would you rate the following queries?Toke Moller (Denmark): Here’s an example of that1. What time is it?approach. I was working with a local school to2. Did you take a shower?frame a possibility-oriented question. We asked3. What possibilities exist that we haven’tteachers, students, parents, and administrators,thought of yet?“What could a good school also be?” This way of4. What does it mean to be ethical?posing the question helped people to see theirschool in a different light. It resulted in some amazWe have tested questions such as these in severaling new ideas. I’m quite sure they would not havedifferent cultures. In the process, we’ve discoveredbeen as innovative if the question had focused onlythat, despite cultural differences, people quite consison fixing problems.tently rate questions one and two as being less powerCarlos Mota (Mexico): It’s a real art to find as well as toful, and questions three and four as being more powershape the right question for your situation. Once aful. Clearly, powerful questions are ones that transcendfriend told me about a time she was being intermany boundaries.viewed. The interviewer said, “We’re just going toNot long ago, we hosted a conversation with aask you one question: What’s the question wegroup of international colleagues about what makesassumptions will be key to creating positive futures.As Einstein said, “The problems we have cannot besolved at the same level of thinking that createdthem.” And in her book The Art of the Question,Marilee Goldberg adds,“A paradigm shift occurs whena question is asked inside the current paradigm thatcan only be answered from outside it.” It’s this kind ofparadigm shift, based on powerful questions, that maybe necessary to create truly innovative solutions toour most pressing concerns.THE ART OF POWERFUL QUESTIONS3

should be asking?” Sometimes the most importantthing to do is to help the people themselves shapethe questions in the most powerful way, since theyknow their own situation the best of anyone.Thus, a powerful question: generates curiosity in the listener stimulates reflective conversation is thought-provoking surfaces underlying assumptions invites creativity and new possibilities generates energy and forward movement channels attention and focuses inquiry stays with participants touches a deep meaning evokes more questionsrowing the possibilities we can consider. Is it a yes/noquestion? Is it an either/or question? Does it beginwith an interrogative, such as Who,What, or How?WHOWHENWHYWHATWHEREHOW?WHICHJust for fun, try placing these words in a pyramidof lower to higher power. Don’t think too much; useyour intuition.More PowerfulLess PowerfulA powerful question also has the capacity to “travel well”—to spread beyond the place where it beganinto larger networks of conversation throughout anorganization or a community. Questions that travel wellare often the key to large-scale change. As we’ll explorebelow, how such queries are crafted can make a difference in their capacity to move a system toward innovative futures.The Architecture of Powerful QuestionsAs shown at the start of this volume, powerful questions can dramatically improve the quality of insight,innovation, and action in our organizations, in ourcommunities, and in our lives.Therefore, understanding the basic architecture of formulating powerfulquestions is a key skill in today’s knowledge economy.There are three dimensions to powerful questions:construction, scope, and assumptions. Each contributes to the quality of learning and knowledge creation that emerges as we engage with others in a generative inquiry.ConstructionAssumptionsScopeTHE FIRST DIMENSION:The Construction of a QuestionThe linguistic construction of a question can make acritical difference in either opening our minds or nar4When asked, most people rank these words frommore powerful to less powerful as follows:More PowerfulWHY,HOW,WHATWHO, WHEN, WHEREWHICH, YES/NO QUESTIONSLess PowerfulBy using the words toward the top of the pyramid, we can make many of our questions more robust.For example, consider the following sequence: Are you satisfied with our workingrelationship? When have you been most satisfied with ourworking relationship? What is it about our working relationship thatyou find most satisfying? Why might it be that that our workingrelationship has had its ups and downs?As you move from the simple “yes/no” question atthe beginning toward the “why” question at the end,you’ll notice that the queries tend to stimulate morereflective thinking and a deeper level of conversation.THE ART OF POWERFUL QUESTIONS

expand in scope.As you work to make your questionsThat’s what we mean by a powerful question—onepowerful, tailor and clarify the scope as precisely asthat provokes thoughtful exploration and evokes crepossible to keep them within the realistic boundariesative thinking.and needs of the situation you are working with.AvoidHowever, a note of caution: Unless a “why” quesstretching the scope of your question too far. Fortion is carefully crafted, it can easily evoke a defensiveexample, compare the following question to the onesresponse, as people try to justify their answer ratherabove:than proceed in a spirit of inquiry. For instance, the How can we best manage the economy?questions, “Why can’t you ever tell me exactly whatyou are thinking?” or “Why did you do it that way?”While extremely interesting, this query is clearlycan cause someone to defend a given position oroutside the scope of most people’s capacity to takerationalize some past decision, rather than open neweffective action, at least in the short term. In many sitpossibilities. In contrast, when a “why” question stemsuations, this would be a less strategic question thanfrom genuine curiosity, such as “I wonder why thatone for which those involved had the capacity tohappened?” then the inquiry has the potential to cremake a more immediate difference.ate useful insights.Just because a question is situated near the top ofTHE THIRD DIMENSION:the pyramid does not necessarily mean that it is moreThe Assumptions Within Questionsimportant or more relevant than its counterparts at theBecause of the nature of language, almost all of thebottom. Depending on your goals, a “yes/no” questionquestions we pose have assumptions built into them,can be extremely important (particularly if you are closeither explicit or implicit.ing a large sale!).These assumptions mayLikewise, a questionor may not be shared bythat gets at the facts“A VITAL QUESTION, A CREATIVE QUESTION,the group involved in theof who, when, andRIVETS OUR ATTENTION. ALL THE CREATIVEexploration; for instancewhere can often bePOWER OF OUR MINDS IS FOCUSED ON THEthequestion, “Howcrucial, such as in aQUESTION.KNOWLEDGEEMERGESINRESPONSEshould we create a bilinlegal case. However,TO THESE COMPELLING QUESTIONS. THEY OPENgual educational systemwhen you want toUS TO NEW WORLDS.”in California?” assumesopen the space forthat those involved in thecreativity and breakVERNA ALLEE, THE KNOWLEDGE EVOLUTIONexploration have agreedthroughthinking,that being bilingual is anquestions constructimportant capacity fored around the wordsthe state’s students. However, some powerful quesat the top of the pyramid will have more strategic levertions challenge everyone’s existing assumptions. Forage than those that use the words at the bottom.example, ask yourself what assumptions the followingquestion might challenge: “How might we eliminateTHE SECOND DIMENSION:the border between the U.S. and Mexico?”The Scope of a QuestionTo formulate powerful questions, it’s important toIt’s important not only to be aware of how the wordsbecome aware of assumptions and use them approwe choose influence the effectiveness of our query,priately. So, contrast the question, “What did we dobut also to match the scope of a question to ourwrong and who is responsible?” with “What can weneeds.Take a look at the following three questions:learn from what’s happened and what possibilities do How can we best manage our work group?we now see?” The first question assumes error and How can we best manage our company?blame; it is a safe bet that whoever is responding will How can we best manage our supply chain?feel defensive.The second question encourages reflection and is much more likely than the first query toIn this example, the questions progressivelystimulate learning and collaboration among thosebroaden the domain of inquiry as they consider larginvolved.er and larger aspects of the system; that is, theyTHE ART OF POWERFUL QUESTIONS5

It’s often helpful to examine a question for anyunconscious beliefs it may introduce to the situation.You can do so by simply asking your team, “Whatassumptions or beliefs are we holding that are key tothe conversation we are having here?” and “Howwould we come at this if we held an entirely differ

them.” And in her book The Art of the Question, Marilee Goldberg adds,“A paradigm shift occurs when a question is asked inside the current paradigm that can only be answered from outside it.”It’s this kind of paradigm shift,based on powerful questions,that may be necessary to create truly innovative solutions to our most pressing concerns.