The Right Answer or the Right Question

I’ve been thinking further about creating effective questions.  I’m guessing that one of the reasons most of us don’t create good questions is that our minds are always busy thinking of the right answers. Our minds are busy with thoughts of what we’re going to say next, our opinion on the topic at hand, or our next appointment.

Nancy Kline suggests that in order to get to good questions, we have to create time to think. It is a learned behavior for being in the present moment, paying attention in the here and now.

To continue thinking about the question of questions, here’s a quote from Fran Peavey:

Questions can be like a lever you use to pry open the stuck lid on a paint can. . . . If we have a short lever, we can only just crack open the lid on the can. But if we have a longer lever, or a more dynamic question,we can open that can up much wider and really stir things up. . . . If the right question is applied, and it digs deep enough, then we can stir up all the creative solutions.

And so, I’m off to the porch where it is an unseasonably cool 75 degrees in the Kansas summer to do some thinking about creating better questions and being present in the moment.