Ask better questions at work
Use questions that invite information rather than defend a conclusion. “What made this difficult?” opens a different conversation from “Why did you fail to do it?” Keep the question short and give the person time to respond.
Follow an initial answer with a concrete question about examples, constraints or options. Avoid asking several questions at once. When you have enough information, summarise the issue and confirm the next step. A useful question helps both people understand the situation more clearly.
A workplace example
A team member reports that a task is blocked. Instead of asking several questions at once, begin with the most useful one: which dependency is preventing progress? Then explore options.
Try this in practice
- Ask one open question.
- Listen for the specific obstacle.
- Check the action needed next.
Which question would reveal information rather than defend your view?
More on empathy
Keep reading
Do not assume that a familiar phrase, silence or a polite agreement carries the same meaning for everyone.
EmpathyInclude quieter voices in meetingsSend the topic and decision needed in advance.
EmpathyWork with different communication stylesPeople may differ in how quickly they process information, how much detail they need and whether they prefer to think aloud.
