Asking Empowering Questions

Have you ever noticed that the best essays, articles, speeches, counseling sessions, etc. usually begin with a well-formed question?

The human brain to conditioned to answer questions. Questions draw people in and engage the mind. If used properly, they can make a tremendous different in the quality of our lives and those we connect with.

Wouldn’t it be great if this article could begin to us you how to start asking the right kinds of questions?

One of the absolute best skills and disciplines a person can learn is the art of asking the right kinds of question, replacing in the process the wrong kinds of questions. This ability can propel your sales success, your coaching abilities, your public speaking skills, etc. It can even help you be a better spouse, parent, and neighbor.

The first step in this process is learning how to change the way we see the world and ourselves in the world. That fundamental change we are talking about is seeing ourselves on the cause end of life, rather than the effect. When we operate from the cause end of life it prompts us to take charge of our life and to take responsibility for the decisions we make. Just this simple change of perspective prompts us to automatically begin asking new questions.

When I see myself on the cause end of life, unpleasant circumstances might prompt me to ask, “Why does this always happen to me?”
When I face similar situations, but see myself on the cause end of life, I might now ask: “What can I do differently in the future to achieve better results?”

Can you see how the first example is a disempowering question, while the latter is an empowering question?

You can begin to questions to improve almost any area of your life. Here’s a list of questions that you can apply to any area to make improvements.
• What did I do well in this situation?
• What are three things I can do differently in the future to achieve better results?
• What can I do to get better results and take less effort to do it?
• How can I make it so that I enjoy myself even more?
• What level of proficiency do I want to gain in this area?

With a little bit of practice you will begin to ask questions that are a lot more empowering and useful. It requires discipline but the results of asking a different question can be quite amazing. It requires careful thinking about how to frame the question but the effort will be worth it.

Questions aren’t just useful for yourself. They can make a huge different in the lives of others as well.

Imagine how the productivity of your sales team might receive a boost if you asked: How can we help improve the team’s performance and productivity?

What if you were to ask your children: What could your father and I do to help you enjoy doing your homework?

How many different ways can you already think of to use new questions? Here are a few ideas:

Public Speaking: What one skill do I need to improve to make my speeches more effective?

Personal development: What is the one questio
I can ask myself that will give me the biggest result right now? (For a great resource on this very topics, see Noah St. John’s “Book of Afformations.” (Reviewed Here!)

Manager: What can I do to help you make this product produce the best result we have ever had?

Teacher: What is the one thing that most motivates my students to stay focused on learning?

Sales person: What is the central objection that I have to overcome to sell more ______?

You’ve probably heard it said: “Ask a stupid question get a stupid answer!” Well, now that you have read this article, you have probably thought of a few situations where your life might be improved by asking well thought out and constructive questions.

How can you employ this concept of asking empowering questions to improve your life and the lives of those around you?