Use Questions to Your Advantage

Do you know that you use questions every single day? In your self-talk, in the information you get from others and in the conversations you have in your own head we all use questions. And, you are able to use those questions to your advantage.

Leaders have long known how to ask the right questions in order to get the right answers. For instance, Lee Iacocca one of America\’s finest business leaders, understood the power of the well-crafted question. Statements invite agreement or disagreement and commands invite rebellion or submission, but questions engage people. Those same questions can engage, not only others in your life but also your subconscious mind, in order to help change the way in which you think of yourself and your life.

Leaders use questions that begin with the word \”how\” because it leads individuals to draw their own conclusions about how an objective or project might be completed. \”Why\” questions may also be considered but can be more derogatory in nature and less productive than a how question. Why questions lead individuals to justify their actions as opposed to finding a solution. It moves the person from thinking about specifics to reasons for their actions. \”Why\” questions are not always as productive when used in an incorrect manner.

Asking questions of others will engage the listener and focus the attention on the objective. It allows the questioner to facilitate discussions and stimulate thinking, while testing their knowledge at the same time. These same factors can be used in order to question yourself about processes which may have gone incorrectly or projects which may have not been completed.

Questions can be formed to evaluate an individual\’s knowledge of the concepts, their comprehension, application, analysis of the situation, or evaluation or judgment of the situation. These same questions can be used to reframe a situation for yourself so that you can move past a challenge or an obstacle.

For instance, if your current nutritional choices haven\’t led to weight loss instead of asking, \”Why can\’t I lose weight?\” you can ask yourself, \”What choices am I making that are stopping me from losing weight?\” or \”What can I do differently to lose weight?\” or \”Are my social situations causing me to make bad nutritional choices?\”

If you notice the last three questions are constructive and ask you to focus on the solution instead of wallowing in your own self-pity – which has never been a productive process.

By using questions to reframe your current situation you can find solutions that will enable you to become successful. If you find that you begin to ask questions that aren\’t constructive, stop them quickly. You won\’t be able to stop thinking them all together but you are able to stop them when you recognize that they are happening.