Improving Yedda: http://yedda.com/questions/Improving_Yedda_1869149124114
Sometimes I find it too hard to formulate what I want to ask. Is there a way, a technique or whatever, to help me deliver clear and straight to the point questions, so that people do not wonder what exactly was it that I had in mind?
Do you find it hard to build you question in logical way, or just having hard time in finding the right words ?
Personally I find it hard many times to build the question infrastrcture. It happens when I have a complicated problem, or when there are too many details that have to be in the question in order to get good answer.
In my experience, I suggest that you start with writing a short (no more than two lines) intro, give some background and supply as many details you find relevant. Do not end with a "?". The following One-lined par. should contain a short question, some kind of an argument for the information you had supplied.
Ask open-ended questions, not Yes\No questions , or you will get a Yes\No Answer. The best way to phrase a question IMHO, is to ask for people's experience.
I find it hard to build it in logical way. Very often I ask vague and ambiguous questions. As far as I understand your suggestion I should start with describing the problem because of which I am asking the question rather than start thinking with the very question in mind. If this is what you meant, it sounds really useful. Describing the problem first, gives context clues to the responders and helps me clarify things myself.
Just a couple of practical suggestions that might be helpful (I am assuming, incidentally, that you are referring to questions asked 'live' in a meeting, conversation or open forum:
- begin your question with a statement that highlights the area of query and therefore contextualizes your question, to aid the understanding of the listener. For example, 'I'm curious about.....' or 'When you talked about _____, I found myself wondering.....' or 'It's interesting that......', or 'I want to pick up on your mention of......'
- then, when you ask your question, follow on from the area you have specified, and make a conscious effort to both relate your question to it, and to deliberately phrase your question in very precise language. You might decide to start your question with 'What', 'Why', 'How', 'Where'. For example, 'What exactly is....' or 'Why does this happen?'....or 'What is the most important....' Or 'Can you explain....' 'If this is the case, then what would....'
A mental exercise might be, 'I need to ask this question in exactly six words. What would they be?' You might not get it down to only six, but the exercise might help tighten and clarify.
I hope this helps!
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Off the top of my head, I would say that you must first DEFINE the problem and then ASK it in the simplest way, without omitting any VERY important details.
So, keep those three points in mind. First, begin the process by brainstorming or whatever process works best for you - but just get it all down on paper in a tangible format in front of you FIRST. Then, pick from that and decide how to ask your question by highlighting only the info you think is necessary to your receiving the most helpful and definitive answer. Then, arrange these in an understandable order before you formulate your question and go from there.
If you don't get the answer you need at first, you can always ask again and refine or get more info as you go along : ) Hope that helps.
I am notorious for having to take the time to write down things (as an inward thinking introvert) because I usually try to throw out all of my thoughts at once in a jumble and get mostly blank looks in return : )
the key is to clarify the purpose of your question, then the desired outcome (what will a successful answer tell you / allow you to do)... you want to make sure that the intention of your question gets across so be sure to clarify how you came to the question.
I would first write out the question in a way that it is understandable to you. Then answer the question as if you not writing the answer but as if you are responding to an imaginary person. When you can get it across by speaking you can then put it down in writing.
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Is it possible to ask a strait question eye am not sure when we formulate our questions we assume answers will come that we want to see and BOYO BOY are we sometimes SURPRISED like GOMER SURPRISED SUPRISED SUPPRISED
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