How to Ask Useful Questions

Asking useful questions is a skill, and it requires practice.

Inexperienced or naive questions sound like this:

"Hello! [Insert life story.] What should I do?"

Or this:

"I'm thinking about [action]. What do you think?"

Questions like these make a few critical mistakes:

• They don't include the context necessary for the recipient to answer the question.
• They don't respect the recipient's time, energy, attention, or competing demands.
• They implicitly transfer responsibility for the End Result from the questioner to the recipient.

As a result, questions like these go unanswered due to Friction - answering them would take too much effort, so the recipient doesn't bother.

If you want useful answers, learn to ask better questions. In most cases, you'll need to tailor the form of the question to the type of information you're seeking.

Asking for Information

"I'm interested in more information about A, and I found you via B. Are you the best person to ask about this?"

Keys to information-seeking questions:

• Be specific about the information you're looking to obtain.
• Give context by referencing why you're contacting them and how you found their contact information.
• Make it easy for the recipient to refer you to the best resource as quickly as possible, which will save you both time.

Asking for Clarification

"Based on our conversation about A, it sounds like B is the case. Is that correct?"

Keys to clarification questions:

• Include a short summary of the topic for context.
• "It sounds like…" leaves room for clarification without being confrontational.
• "Is that correct?" (or a close variant) is clear, concise, direct, and polite.

Asking for Help

"I'm trying to A, and I'm having trouble. So far, I've tried B with result C, and D with result E. Now I'm stuck. Any guidance?"

Keys for asking for assistance:

• Be clear and precise about what you're trying to do.
• Give context by including what you've tried so far, which makes it clear that you're doing your own work and not asking the recipient to solve your problems for you.
• "Any guidance?" or "What should I try next?" sets up the recipient as the expert and doesn't transfer responsibility for the problem.

Asking for Agreement

"Based on our previous conversation about X, we decided Y is the best solution. The next step is Z. Agreed? If so, I'll get started right away."

Keys for asking for agreement:

• Use this question to get important decisions or agreements in writing. (This question is particularly useful in confirming business agreements.)
• Spell out the decision in as much detail as possible.
• "Agreed?" leaves room for recipients to voice disagreement without equivocating in your description of the original decision conversation.
• "I'll get started right away" adds useful urgency and makes it clear that any clarifications or changes need to be made right away.

Asking for Advice

"I'm working on A. My priorities are B, C, and D. I'm considering E, but I'm not sure it's the best option. If you have a moment, I'd appreciate your thoughts. If not, no worries. Thanks!"

Keys for asking for advice:

• Be clear and precise about what you're trying to achieve.
• Be clear about your priorities, and include any known tradeoffs. The recipient can't read your mind or set your priorities for you.
• Make it clear you're asking for advice or perspective, not for the recipient to decide for you.
• Give the recipient an easy out - you're asking for a favor, so be polite.

Simple Techniques to Optimize Your Reading Comprehension and Retention

Ever had the experience of reading a book and not feeling like you’re learning anything useful? What about realizing a week later you don’t even remember what the book was about?

What’s the use in reading if you don’t understand and don’t remember what you read?

You’re not alone… many people have difficulties fully comprehending and remembering written material. Fortunately, it’s easy to improve your reading comprehension and retention. Here are three simple techniques to get you started…

Set a Purpose by Asking “Why?" and “What?"

In 10 Days to Faster Reading , Abby Marks-Beale (of the Princeton Language Institute) recommends asking two simple questions before picking up any piece of reading material:

1. Why am I reading this?
2. What might I need this information for?

These questions are immensely important for two reasons:

First, asking why you’re choosing to read a particular piece of material helps determine your purpose: what you ultimately want to accomplish by spending your time reading. Setting your purpose is the best way to factor in the opportunity cost of your time and attention… if you don’t believe what you’re about to read will be useful, you can choose to do something different.

Second, asking why you might need this information primes your brain to make connections between what you’re reading and what you want to achieve. Our minds work primarily via pattern recognition - by reminding yourself of your areas of responsibility before you read, you’ll make many more connections than you would otherwise. (Be sure to keep a notebook and pen close at hand to capture your thoughts and ideas without breaking the flow of your reading.)

Create a Mindmap of Major Concepts

A mindmap is a non-linear diagram that makes it easy to capture key thoughts and connections between ideas in a graphical / visual format. Starting with an idea, concept, or question in the center, you capture information by connecting key concepts and thoughts to the central idea. More detailed information related to these thoughts is then captured in branches that radiate out from the key concepts, away from the central idea. (Here’s an example of a hand-drawn mind map.)

Mindmapping is a useful technique to use while reading, since the non-linear format allows you to view the entirety of your notes at a glance, then easily place new information in the appropriate branch or make connections between ideas. It’s also a useful technique when solving problems or planning projects: start with a question or project description, then capture all ideas or necessary tasks in the appropriate branches.

You can create mindmaps manually (with paper and pens or markers) or use software to create documents to share or archive. (I recommend checking out Mindmanager for computer-based mindmapping - it’s the best I’ve found.)

Capture Your Reactions by Using the “McDowell Grid"

One common mistake many people make when taking notes is that they focus only on the content of the text. The Personal MBA approach to education has nothing to do with classroom-style testing: there are no points for accurate textual regurgitation. Instead of simply summarizing key points, seek instead to capture the ideas and plans that the reading generates for you.

Your personal reactions to the text will comprise 80% of the value you’ll take away when you’re finished reading. (An example of Pareto’s Law at work.) This insight explains why it’s so valuable to build and maintain a personal library and re-read books over time: since your state of mind, priorities, and projects are different each time you read, the insights you generate will always be different and directly related to your current situation.

Tyson McDowell , CEO of Benchmark Revenue Management and one of my clients, recently taught me a brilliant format for capturing both key points and personal reactions while reading. This method, which I’m dubbing the “McDowell Grid," captures key points and personal reactions side-by-side, making it easy to quickly revisit a summary of the text and remember your thoughts about the key points at the same time.

The grid is simple: using any word processing software you like, make a table with two columns. In the first column, capture a summary of a key concept or idea from the text. In the second column, record your personal reactions, ideas, and plans to put the concept into practice. When you’re finished with the book, you’ll have a archive-ready summary and action plan ready for use!

For those of you who prefer to take notes by hand, here’s a handy PDF I created to help you use the McDowell Grid for your own note-taking adventures:

Download the McDowell Grid Book Summary Format by the Personal MBA (PDF) →

Questions to Improve Your Results

Good questions prime your brain to look at the world in a different way. By simply holding a question in your mind and pondering potential answers, you can find unexpected paths to get from where you are now to where you want to be.

This afternoon, I re-discovered a list of questions I put together a few years ago. The intent of the list was to help me figure out what I wanted to improve about my life, both as a person and as a professional. This list helped me figure out who I was and what I wanted during a particularly difficult time in my career, and I sincerely hope they help you as much as they’ve helped me.

Here are 49 questions you can use to improve your results…

Do I use my body optimally?

• What is the quality of my current diet?
• Do I get enough sleep?
• Am I managing my energy well each day?
• How do I manage daily stress?
• Do I have good posture and poise?
• What can I do to improve my ability to observe the world around me?

Do I know what I want?

• What achievements would make me really excited?
• What “states of being" do I want to experience each day?
• Are my priorities and values clearly defined?
• Am I capable of making decisions quickly and confidently?
• Do I consistently focus my attention on what I want vs. what I don’t want?

What am I afraid of?

• Have I created an honest and complete list of the fears I’m holding on to?
• Have I confronted each fear to imagine how I would handle it if it came to pass?
• Am I capable of recognizing and correcting self-limitation?
• Am I appropriately pushing my own limits?

Is my mind clear and focused?

• Do I systematically externalize (write or record) what I think about?
• Am I making it easy to capture my thoughts quickly, as I have them?
• What has my attention right now?
• Am I regularly asking myself appropriate guiding questions?
• Do I spend most of my time focusing on a single task, or constantly flipping between multiple tasks?
• Do I spend enough time actively reflecting on my goals, projects, and progress?

Am I confident, relaxed, and productive?

• Have I found a planning method that works for me?
• Am I “just organized enough"?
• Do I have an up-to-date list of my projects and active tasks?
• Do I review all of my commitments on a regular basis?
• Do I take regular, genuine breaks from my work?
• Am I consciously creating positive habits?
• Am I working to shed non-productive habits?
• Am I comfortable with telling other people “no"?

How do I perform best?

• What do I particularly enjoy?
• What am I particularly good at doing?
• What environment do I find most conducive to doing good work?
• How do I tend to learn most effectively?
• How do I prefer to work with and communicate with others?
• What is currently holding me back?

What do I really need to be happy and fulfilled?

• How am I currently defining “success"?
• Is there another way of defining “success" that I may find more fulfilling?
• How often do I compare myself to my perceptions of other people?
• Am I currently living below my means?
• If I could only own 100 things, what would they be?
• Am I capable of separating necessity and luxury?
• What do I feel grateful for in my life and work?

Pick up a journal, set aside a few hours, and spend time with yourself answering these questions. Make it fun: treat yourself to a nice lunch or dinner at a restaurant you like, and write as you eat. By the time the check arrives, you’ll have more than a few new ideas about how to change your life or business for the better.