Sometimes, the process of just asking questions can be almost as powerful as answers; hence the potential of processes like Q-Storming. Jamie Notter takes a different take on questions as training tools. Referencing this article from Associations Now (which is a great read, BTW), Jamie says about conflict resolution training he does:
- I have people pair up, where one person has a problem, and the other is the â€coach†who will help solve the problem. I encourage people to use actual problems—things they really aren’t sure how to solve or what to do next.
The coach has one important restriction: she or he can ONLY ask questions (interrogative-led questions are recommended). You can’t ask questions that are really suggestions (Have you tried talking directly with the boss?). They must be open ended (What have you tried?).
You may be surprised at how incredibly difficult it is to ONLY ask questions. We want to solve problems, and we want to provide answers. To help means to tell others what they should do. Suggesting to others what they should do is not evil—but it does not get us the same results we get when we merely ask questions and THEY figure out what to do on their own.
That's it exactly. You learn by doing—in this case, by going through the thought process yourself to come up with the answers. I wish more learning opportunities used this approach. There would, I bet, be a whole lot more learning going on.