Attributes of a Powerful Question
Answers are all around us, thanks to proliferation of content and AI tools. It is our ability to ask right questions that will truly propel us forward, as individuals and as organizations. Here are a few attributes of a powerful question.
Tanmay Vora
In his book “Poke The Box”, Seth Godin asked a powerful question, “When was the last time you did something for the first time?”
For me, this question led to a significant mindset change – from working within the boundaries of known to trying new things out. The question helped me discover new potentialities within the self, find opportunities at the intersection of my skills and take up newer learning projects over the years.
Asking Right Questions
We live in a world where answers are all around us. Prompt the Generative AI tools right and you’ll get answers. But simply having answers is far less important in today’s world. What is critical is asking the right questions within the frame of specific context involve people, build trust, find solutions, foster collective learning and encourage innovation.
In her book “The Fearless Organization”, Amy Edmondson writes,
..when leaders overcome their biases to ask genuine questions, it fosters psychological safety….
“The leaders’ toolkit contains few rules of thumb for asking a good question: one, you don’t know the answer; two, you ask questions that do not limit the response options to Yes or No, and three, you phrase the question in a way that helps others share their thinking in a focused way
Sketchnote: Attributes of a Powerful Question
The book shares an interesting reference to Attributes of Powerful Questions from World Cafe’ organization which I turned into a sketchnote for easy reference.
Since we are talking about questions, here is a story with three profound questions, written as a part of my 100-word story project.
In 100 Words: Three Questions to Lead the Self
A priest was confronted by a soldier while he was walking down a road in pre-revolutionary Russia. The soldier, aiming his rifle at the priest, called out,
“Who are you?
Where are you going?
Why are you going there?”
Unfazed, the priest calmly replied, “How much do they pay you?” Somewhat surprised, the soldier responded, “Twenty-five kopecks a month.”
The priest paused, and in a deeply thoughtful manner said, “I have a proposal for you. I’ll pay you fifty kopecks each month if you stop me here every day and challenge me to respond to those same three questions.”
Updated: Visual Leadership Pack of 65+ HD Sketchnotes
If you liked the sketchnote summary above, check out the Visual Leadership Pack of HD Sketchnotes – a compilation of high-resolution sketchnotes with 68+ powerful (and timeless) ideas to elevate your leadership and learning game.
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