Effective Questioning Techniques: How to Ask a Question That Gets the Answer You Need

How many times have you asked a question, gotten an answer, and realized that you didn't get the type of response you expected? Did you find yourself asking the question again or rephrasing it to make sure it was more easily understood?

This happens a lot during job interviews, in which the question is intentionally phrased vaguely in order to leave room for interpretation. However, if your intent is to get a specific response, problem solve or promote discussion, you may want to rethink how you ask questions.

What Kind of Questions Work Best?

While there are two basic styles of questions - open-ended and "yes/no" - there are four types of questions: factual, convergent, divergent and evaluative.

• Factual questions: These seek straightforward, simple responses based on the facts. They typically have one correct answer, such as: "What is the name of your last supervisor?"
• Convergent questions: These usually have limited responses, but still allow the respondent to formulate an answer based on personal awareness, rather than exact information. For instance, "What has been missing in past positions that you hope to find working with us?"
• Divergent questions: These allow even more analysis, conjecture and imagination, resulting in different outcomes or responses based on basic knowledge or information. One such question might be, "Where do you see yourself five years from now?"
• Evaluative questions: These require the respondent to compare and evaluate two different perspectives to arrive at a conclusion, such as: "What are the differences and similarities between the career you have and the career you want?"

The Great Debate

So, should you ask open-ended or "yes/no" questions? The benefit of open-ended questions is that you cause people to use their critical-thinking skills in order to formulate an answer. This is a great way to get people, such as job candidates or team members in a training session, to think creatively and draw upon personal experiences, feelings, opinions, understanding, and knowledge.

However, because open-ended questions often have no right or wrong answer, this technique may not be the best way to get definitive information. So, when you formulate open-ended questions, you have to consider what type of response you're looking for and whether there is room for interpretation.

If you need a direct answer, asking a "yes/no" question might be the best way to go. Naturally, there is no guarantee that you won't get an evasive answer - like a police officer grilling a suspect - however, direct questions are more likely to move you to the right information. That means if you need something specific, it's best to ask directly.

How to Get the Best Response

Each situation differs; however, if your aim is to get the response you need, keep these things in mind:

• Chose the style of question that works best for the situation. That means if you need more information than what a "yes/no" question will elicit, ask an open-ended question.
• Frame the question so that it makes sense. Just because you understand what you want, it doesn't mean that everyone else will. Make sure your query is clear.
• Ask at an appropriate time. There's nothing worse than barging into someone's office and asking an inappropriate question at an inappropriate time. Timing is everything.
• Be polite. Depending on the given situation, be sensitive and friendly and refuse to embarrass or badger someone.
• Be patient. Give the respondent time to think. Don't push for an immediate answer if they don't have it. If the information you require will take some time to find, let them know in advance.

Getting the answers you want takes finesse and practice. But, if you take the time to do it right, you'll learn to ask the questions that get you the answers you need.