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"Power of Questions" Module Question

I know that in this module we discussed open vs. closed questions and the problems with asking "Why?," namely that it can come off as judgmental and damage rapport. I was wondering what recommendations you have for balancing open questions and avoiding why questions in a way that prioritizes rapport-building and a student-centered approach while also being mindful of the reality that we have limited time with students and too many open-ended questions can lead to us not getting to all the necessary (or even mandated) topics of discussion in a meeting. Thanks and looking forward to your reply!  

User User
asked 08/18/2021 21:08
  • #questioningtechniques

endorsed by
  • Jim B.
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Jim B.
replied 08/19/2021 18:18

Hi Tyler,

Thank you for your post and question. Kelly makes some great points. I will just add, the only way we are going to gain the information necessary to help our students make an informed decision is to ask great questions. Because each student presents different challenges, it is very difficult to put a time limit on how long it will take to establish mutual interest and gain trust, but it is extremely important to do so. With that in mind, it’s important to ask as many questions as it takes to get the best understanding of your student’s challenges, needs, and goals. As Kelly suggested, the 7-root questions are the BEST place to start.  Looking forward to hearing other thoughts! 

User
replied 08/20/2021 20:19

Hi there, 

Thank you both for the replies. What I'm hearing is that due to the difficult balance between our potentially limited time with students and a need to establish mutual interest and trust and get to the root of students' challenges, it is important to be very intentional about the open ended questions that we are asking, such as starting with the 7-root questions that you refer to. Thanks again. 

Jim B.
replied 08/23/2021 14:41

Hi Tyler,

Exactly!  You can also branch off of the 7-root questions to dig even further "under the surface"!  Thank you, Tyler for your feedback and insight!

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Kelly G.
replied 08/19/2021 13:18

Good Morning Tyler.  Great question and I think you are going to get different answers from different people because honestly each conversation with a student should be different.  But the best advice I can give is to start with the 7 root questions and then from there branch off with open ended questions to fully listen to your student and used your closed ended question to close off that conversation before moving on to the next root question. 

The whole reasoning to avoid "why" questions is to focus on staying above the line to engage and explore with your student. I am sure it is never any of our intention to put the student on the defense, but it can happen because we can't truly control how someone processes or feels about a question. So as a way of controlling what we can control, if we focus on asking more engaging questions it can create an opportunity to truly hear the student's story.

I am interested to see what other people see as well, because as we know questions are powerful so I am sure others are going to have their "power moves" to share as well!

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Last Activity 08/23/2021 14:41

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