Two Kinds of Questions: Which Do You Ask?

 

There are two types of questions that people tend to ask.

The “showing off” question aims to demonstrate how much we know about a subject. It might be a “gotcha” aiming to expose the weakness or mistake in a presenter’s argument.

The second type of question aims to learn, not to show off. This question comes from a willingness to be a bit vulnerable, to acknowledge ignorance or a lack of a complete understanding about a subject.

This “learning” question aims not to demonstrate our existing knowledge to others, but instead to deepen our understanding about a particular topic.

We often fail to ask these “learning” questions because we don’t want to look stupid. We are afraid to acknowledge in front of our peers, subordinates, or superiors that we do not understand a topic completely.

Unfortunately, we limit ourselves when we hold back in such a fashion.

What type of questions do you ask as a leader? Moreover, what type of questions do you encourage your team members to ask?