Questioning Stratgies for Focused Results

Questioning Strategies for Focused Results

Terry J. Fadem

A strategy is a plan to reach a specific objective. Most questions that come to mind during normal business discourse are part of the more generalized plan of the business: They are part of the process that helps accomplish the tasks to contribute to the goals of the organization. However, it is vital to have a plan when your questions are part of a probe or investigation or for some other more focused purpose.

Explicit strategies are recommended for these situations:

• Conducting a probe

• Following-up questioning

• Evaluating ideas, plans, products, problems

• Investigating a specific situation

• Controlling a discussion

• Asking hard questions

• Finding fatal flaws

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