Get focused answers with thoughtful questions…
“Great things can happen when you ask the right questions.”
– Charlie Rose
In the realm of “questioning,” few stand out. It is an elusive skill for most of us, but one we can always improve upon. Successful (and rare) examples can be found in marketing campaigns, TV interviews and political races.
Question Your Questions
Have you recently noticed any number of painfully irrelevant and/or rambling answers to your questions? If you aswered yes, this may be a clue that you could benefit from some brushing up on these skills. But do not despair, hope is not lost. Here’s one model of excellence that you can learn from and may even enjoy:
Charlie Rose
The Charlie Rose Show – available on most PBS stations – makes for an excellent example of effective questioning. Some of the most interesting people in the world have sat at Charlie’s table. Pay special attention to the adjectives and inflection he uses; it tends to evoke some pretty interesting responses from his guests (similar to yesterday’s Lifehacker article). That said…
Albeit, asking the Dalai Lama (a great episode) what his greatest hope is for the future, may be just a bit more interesting than posting a forum question about fixing your blender (but I suppose brilliance is in the eye of the beholder anyway).
As of today, everyone can access FREE re-runs of the Charlie Rose Show on Google Video – it’s usually $1 per show. I was able to find almost every episode I could think of going back many years!
Inspired by: Lifehacker