A Facilitation Technique The Art Of Questionning Helen Wythe

The Art of Questioning
By Facilitrix Helen – Helen Wythe

Helen J. Wythe & Associates 2009 www.hjwythe.com 1


After having completed this session,
g p
participants will:
◦ Appreciate questioning as a fundamental technique
for eliciting, synthesizing, analyzing information
eliciting synthesizing
and/or decision making.
◦ Be familiar with the range of questioning
techniques such as: Chunking, Funnel and Probing
questions.
◦ Understand how to effectively design a q
y g questioning
g
process framework.


 Powerful questions, are the ones for which we
don’t l d have answers are open
d ’ already h
invitations to creativity and innovation,
calling forth ideas and insights that do not
yet exist.


 Key Facilitation Technique – Questioning

 Benefits Of Using Questions
◦ Modulate G
d l Group Dynamics
◦ Focus The Group
◦ Beyond Recall of Information
◦ Builds Knowledge - Makes Connections
◦ Directed Toward Learning - Evaluative Thinking
◦ Moves Group Forward
◦ Results In Creative, Critical And Innovative
Thinking.


 With Any Topic and Process Design
◦ Opening A Session
◦ Brainstorming Ideas
◦ Synthesizing Large Number Of Ideas
◦ Analyzing A Situation
◦ Identifying Solutions
◦ Making Decisions
◦ Reviewing, Planning, Interpreting
◦ Drawing A Cl i
D i Closing O A Session
On S i


 Clear and Concise
 Relevant T S bj
R l To Subject MMaterial and P i i
i l d Participants
 Inspire Participants To Think And Respond

 The quality of the participants’ thinking, and
subsequent responses will be influenced by
responses,
the questioning techniques used by the
meeting facilitator.


 Recognizes Wide Possibilities Of Thought

 Builds Around Various Forms Of Thinking

 Sparks Interest In Seeking Answers

 Involves Critical And Creative Thinking

 Provides Challenge But Not Too Overwhelming


 Creating Powerful Questions Thought
Through And Prepared Prior To M i
Th hA dP d P i T Meeting

 Attention To Three Aspects

◦ The Construction

◦ Scope

◦ Assumptions.


 Closed Questions
◦ Begin With Do, Is, C
h Can, Could, Will, Would, Sh ll
C ld ll ld Shall
Or Should
◦ Only One Response
y p
◦ Recall Information/Assess Prior Knowledge.

 Open Ended Questions
◦ Begin With Who, What, When, Where, Or How
◦ Many Different Responses
y p
◦ Responses Build On Group Knowledge
◦ Stimulate Group Discussion.


 Look At The Type Of Question. Is It A Closed
Question? (Only One Possible Answer)

 Use Diff
U Different Language To Change It Into An
L T Ch I I A
Open Question (With More Than One Answer).


Who

Where What

Topic
How Why

When


 Purpose of Gathering, Analyzing,
p g, y g,
Synthesising And Evaluating Information

 Chunking Questions * Funnel Questions
 Probing Questions * Focus Questions
 Directing Questions * Clarifying Questions
 Leading Questions * Process Questions
 Prompting Questions * Follow-Up


 Follow – Up Questions Prompt For
◦ Clarification
◦ Perspectives
◦ Rationale
◦ Options
◦ Implications


Little boy blue, come blow your horn
The sheep's in the meadow, the cow's in the corn
Where is that boy who looks after the sheep?
Under the haystack fast asleep
Will you wake him? Oh no, not I
For if I do he will surely cry


 Knowledge (Remembering): In this picture, what is the
colour of the boy’s coat?
y
 Comprehension (Understanding): How would you
describe the picture in your own words?
 Application (S l i ) D you k
A li ti (Solving): Do know someone lik Littl
like Little
Boy Blue?
 Analysis (Reasoning): Why might he have fallen asleep?
 Synthesis (Creating): How do you think he will explain
to the farmer how the cow got into the corn?
 Evaluation (Judging): Why do you think it matters if he
falls asleep even if no one ever finds out?


 Meeting Outcome

 Process Design Outcome

 Information Available

 Participants

 Time Available
l bl


 Aim/Outcome/Deliverable/Objective
◦ Information Gathering
◦ Reviewing, Analyzing and Interpreting Information
◦ Addressing Issues
◦ Evaluating and Planning
◦ Making A Decision
◦ Taking Action

 Individual, Small Group – Large Group

 Natural Thinking Process


 What/Facts

 Gut Reaction/Feelings
 So What?/Implications
 Now What?/Decisions

Adapted from ICA Associates

Waking Up In the Morning
 “What”/ Facts The alarm clock rings

 “Gut Reaction /
Gut Reaction” You groan feel tired,
groan, tired
Feelings want more sleep

 “So What /
So What” You remember that
Implications you have an early
morning meeting

 “Now What” /
“N Wh ” You get up and get
Y d
Decisions ready for work


People walk in, take
in
OBJECTIVE things in with their
senses.

Begin to sense, like,
don t like,
don't like emotions
& feelings stir,
REFLECTIVE associations are
made, memories rise
to the surface

Make conscious
connections,
thoughts arise,
words, ideas form,
INTERPRETIVE understanding, we
think about what's
going on

Consider actions,
decisions, choices,
decisions choices
DECISIONAL what to do, how to
respond, how to
relate
Adapted from ICA Associates
20

 Getting To Know One Another

 Clarifying Expectations

 Building Commitment

 Developing Working Guidelines

 Decision Making Ground Rules


 Think, Pair, Square and Share - Design
 Guidelines.
Aim: The Team will create a set of Working Guidelines
 What Working Guidelines does our Team require to create a
productive working environment? – Focus Question
 Individually – Jot down 2 3 key responses to this focus
2-3
question.
 Pairs – Share your responses with one another person and
merge your Working Guideline requirements.
 Square – With another pair – Share your responses and merge
your Working Guideline requirements.
 Share - All groups share their responses. (Document on Flipchart)
◦ Where does there appear to be agreement on Working Guidelines?
◦ Where does there seem to be two ideas that are similar? How can we merge them to
create another Working Guideline we can agree to?
◦ Read list of Working Guidelines Is this Working Guidelines that our Team needs to
create a productive work environment?


What?
The Notice Questions
Objective And
Actions Reflective Observations

Now What? So What?
The Application The Meaning
Questions
Q ti Questions
Q ti
Decisional Interpretive

Reflections
Adapted from Making Questions Work
Dorothy Strachan

 “What” ?
◦ R i awareness what they know and f l about
Raise h t th k d feel b t
something.
 As we begin this planning session, what is in the front of your
mind with respect to this Project? What have noticed is
different about this Project? What is happening here?
 “So What”
◦ Three Areas of Focus
 What patterns do you see here?
 How do you account for what is happening here?
 What does all this mean?
 “Now What”
◦ The Applications Questions (Actions)


1. Understanding the Situation - Objective

2. Clarifying the Issues – Reflective/Interpretive

3. G
3 Generating Options - I t
ti O ti Interpretive
ti

4. Testing Options - Interpretive

5. Making a Decision – Decisional

6. Taking Action - Decisional

Addressing Issues
Adapted from Making Questions Work
Dorothy Strachan

1. What words would you use to describe the issue
facing the Team associated with this Project?

2.What recurring patterns do you see here?

3. What do we need to do to get unstuck and
address this issue successfully?

4. What are the benefits and drawbacks of each
of these options?

5. According to the criteria we agreed upon,
which of these three options fits best?
6. What factors do we need to consider that
could impact implementation?

Addressing Issues


 Looking Backward  Looking Forward
◦ Whole Experience
p ◦ Celebrating Success
◦ Learning ◦ Building Ownership
◦ Productivity ◦ Taking Action
◦ Managing the Process ◦ Future Collaboration


Enabling Action Design
Aim: To clarify the impact of the meeting by providing an
opportunity for participants to debrief the session teasing
out the learning’s and insights.
Let’s look back at our experience of this meeting.
What words and or phrases do you remember?
h d d h d b
What is one thing that stood out for you during today’s meeting?
What did we get done during this meeting?
What were high points of the meeting?
Where did we struggle?
h dd l
What was a turning point in the meeting?
What new vantage point has this meeting given us?
What’s the Team’s next step in implementing what we decided during
this
thi meeting?
ti ?
What are you going to focus on in relation to (Topic) as a result of
participating in this meeting?
This meeting has been a significant step in moving this project forward.


 Prepare To Draw  Miss Allowing For
Range of Responses Individual Thought
From Participants Before Allowing
 Use A Variety Of Responses
Get Di
G Discouraged If
d
Techniques

Your First Question
 Provide Feedback Bombs – Rephrase
p
And Reinforcement
A dR i f  Skimp on the
 Spread Questions Questions - Plan for
Around The Group.
Group More Than You Need

Do’s Don’ts



After having completed this session,
g p
participants will:
◦ Appreciate questioning as a fundamental technique
for eliciting, synthesizing, analyzing information
eliciting synthesizing
and/or decision making.
◦ Be familiar with the range of questioning
techniques such as: Chunking, Funnel and Probing
questions.
◦ Understand how to effectively design a q
y g questioning
g
process framework.


 The F ili i Way
Th Facilitative W
◦ Priscilla H. Wilson
◦ 0-9729764-0-x

 Making Questions Work
◦ Dorothy Strachan
◦ 0-86571-416-9

 The Art of Focused Conversations
◦ R. Brain Stanfield
◦ 0-7879-8727-1


The Art of Questioning


A Facilitation Technique The Art Of Questionning Helen Wythe

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