Questioning and listening go together like salt and pepper, or like teaching and learning. They are different sides of the same coin. Effective questioning is dependent on context. There is no recipe for the right question in any given situation. In most discussions, active listening provides the context and leads to the best next question.

Following is a list of ten effective questions to generate good discussion. These are probing questions which can help to explore almost any issue (Christensen, 2008).

1. “Why?”
2. “Could you say a little more about that?”
3. “What leads you to that conclusion?”
4. “How did you come up with that?”
5. “Could you walk us through your thought process?”
6. “Do you have any evidence to support that?”
7. “How did you interpret that?”
8. “What are your assumptions about that?”
9. “Why is that important?”
10. “What are the implications?”

Consider these questions the next time you’re in a group discussion in a classroom, at work, or event at the dinner table. Probing questions seek to understand.

Ref: Roland Christensen, 2008, Harvard Business School

Image: http://www.cbs.com