The Questions You Ask

I’ve been fortunate to have some great coffee / phone chats with people of different backgrounds, age ranges, and industries.

From these conversations, I made an observation that I wanted to share with you for when you are networking with people.

Depending on your background experiences, you may sometimes feel intimidated by the other person. Perhaps they have many more years of experience than you, and you feel like you have nothing to offer them. But what I’ve realized that you can always add value to a conversation by the questions you ask.

I think a great conversation is fueled by great questions, positive energy, and connection. I would describe a great question as something that provokes the other person to think deeply or in a new way.

If the other person is currently struggling with a challenge in their life, maybe you don’t have the answer or expertise to advise them on a solution. But you can always prompt them with questions that help them get closer to the answer.

Asking good questions is a great way to form a bond with someone because you’re not preaching advice to them (which they probably don’t need to hear anyways). It’s encouraging them to self-reflect and come to a conclusion on their own. It’s more like looking at a problem together, instead of pretending to have all the answers for them or trying to fix a problem for them.

It’s a more empathetic way to build a relationship because it emphasizes listening carefully and responding in a supportive way.

What do you think?