Dear Friends:
Questions serve a multitude of purposes, all of which revolve around either the theme of obtaining information, imparting an impression, or of provoking creative thought. Regarding the first, if I ask you, "What time is it?", I am simply attempting to obtain information. Regarding the second, if I am on a job interview (heaven forbid!) and I ask, "Regarding the last fiscal quarter's performance, why did the company's auditors elect to fully charge off the technologically obsolete inventory despite the fact that it would inevitably cause a slight decline in the stock's trading price?", I may well be trying to impress upon the interviewer the fact that I have "done my homework" and researched the company's financial statements, or that I am knowledgeable regarding such arcane technical matters, or that I am indeed the kind of fellow who has a lust for knowledge. The interviewer's answer is likel;y of little serious consequence to me -- I just wanted to impress him with my question. Regarding the third, if I ask a roomful of college students, "What might society be like today if The Confederacy had won the U.S. Civil war, and the Union had not prevailed?", I am asking an academic question to provoke some imagination and some critical thought.
If you are asking a question that demands practical problem-solving, the ideal question format is POSSIBILITY FRAMING (sometimes called "Possibility Phrasing"). When phrasing the question do not ask "if" something is possible --instead, ask "how" something can be best accomplished, on the assumption that it is absolutely possible.
This approach encourages positive and creative thinking. It does two things to the person on the receiving end of the question: 1) it eliminates the possibility of a quick, simple "no" answer (which is a favorite among parents, lawyers, corrections officials, tenured employees and pessimistic or indolent folks, in general), and 2) it subtly challenges the ego of the recipient to actually come up with one or more possible solutions in order to validate his/her own sense of self-esteem. Yes, indeed, this is a manipulative approach, but a productive one.
You now have this information. Your mission is to put it into practice as frequently as applicable and possible. Unutilized knowledge is just a waste of capacity. Use POSSIBILITY FRAMING at every opportunity. by the way, it carries with it the incidental benefit of impressing upon people that you are a positive, problem-solving type of "can do" fellow or lady.
A good communicator not only asks questions, but he/she inspires people to think.
Inspire the creative process in those around you by using the tool of POSSIBILITY FRAMING.
Faithfully,
Douglas Castle
p.s. If you have not already done so, you may be interested in joining The INTERNAL ENERGY PLUS online forum. It is free, and fascinating. Many have found it to be life-changing. To join right now, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/INTERNAL_ENERGY_PLUS/. You will learn things of tremendous value to your personal and professional success.
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