Sunday Sharies 01.30.22

A QUOTE

"We all have it in us to formulate questions that invite honesty, dignity, and revelation. There is something redemptive and life-giving about asking a better question."
— Krista Tippett, American journalist

A QUESTION

Did you make someone feel seen or heard today?

A THOUGHT

Binary questions are attractive because they’re fast: yes or no. The danger is that framing this way can reinforce what we already expect to hear.

  • Are you sure this will work?

  • Does that make sense?

  • Did you realize we were out of toilet paper?

These are just statements posing as questions. The answers don’t contain real feedback because the responder doesn’t get to contextualize their position.

If you’re asking a binary question, reconsider whether it’s a question worth asking. How we ask really matters.

Speaking of ‘how’ - that word works well:

  • Are you sure this will work? —> How confident are you that this will work?

  • Does that make sense? —> How clear is that?

  • Did you realize we were out of toilet paper? —> not worth asking

People are less likely to speak up when it’s easy not to. A simple switch from ‘Have you thought about X?’ to ‘How do you think about X?’ invites further discussion so you can pull apart the problem and learn something.

Stay curious just a little bit longer.

Siena Hickey