Imagine for a minute that you are a doctor. A patient comes to see you complaining of back pain. What is the first thing you do? Examine him? Prescribe a painkiller and send him on his way? Or, ask questions? Now, imagine that you are at your job. A fellow employee comes to you because he is worried that he will not be able to finish his project by a certain deadline. Now what is the first thing you do? Tell him you will finish it for him? Start laughing and call him a slacker. Or, ask questions. By mastering the art of asking questions, you can become a great communicator with many skills that will come in handy in everyday and professional life.
Asking questions makes you a better listener. Sounds like an oxymoron. But by asking questions, it shows the speaker that you are listening, and thinking about what an individual is saying. It also challenges the speaker to think on his feet. A person's ability to "think on their feet" can you tell you a lot about an individual. It can open up doors regarding one's philosophies on life and what goals may be important. Good questions motivate people to action.
Refer to Fig. 1. What do you see? Do you see and old or young woman? When I first saw this picture, I saw a young woman. But, with the help of a friend who was familiar with this illusion, I was able to see the old woman also. Compare this exercise with how many different ways an individual may interpret the same word. It is important to understand that most words have different meanings. Keep this in mind when asking questions. If your question is not being answered to your satisfaction, ask it again in a different way. If you know will you have regular interaction with this individual, it will save you both a lot of future time by clarifying terms early in the relationship. Words are like pictures, people see them all differently.
The last part I would like to discuss regarding the art of asking questions, is how the question is asked.
