The benefits of developing questioning skills are two-fold in the communication process. Firstly, they assist you in receiving the messages the other person is sending accurately and secondly, they allow you to check that your message has been accurately received.
TYPES OF EFFECTIVE QUESTIONS
1. Open Questions
Cannot be answered with ‘yes’ or ‘no’
Begin with: How? What? When? Where? Why?
2. Clarifying Questions
Request more information
Contain phrases like: could you elaborate? can you give me an example?
- get more specific information about a subject
- build common understanding
- allow the other person to elaborate
- show the other person you have been listening to them
3. Direct questions
Answered with a one or two word reply
Contain phrases like: how many? what time? how far?
4. Closed questions
Answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’
Contain phrases like: is that right ? did you? do you agree?