The Art of Asking Ask Better Questions, Get Better Answers

by Fadem, Terry J.

• ISBN13: 9780137144242
• ISBN10: 0137144245
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-12-01
• Publisher: FT Press
• More Book Details
• Purchase Benefits

Summary

"Discover the core questions that every manager needs to master ... how to avoid the mistakes business questioners make most often ... ten simple rules for asking every question more effectively. Learn how to ask tough questions and take control of tough situations ... use questions to promote innovation, drive change, identify hidden problems, and get failing protects back on track. Ask better questions, get better answers, achieve better results!"--BOOK JACKET.

Author Biography

T.J. (Terry) Fadem is a veteran manager with 25 years of experience ranging from supervising steel workers (J&L Steel) to managing in a major corporation (DuPont) to working with start-up companies. His business venture teams have been profiled in books and periodicals, and he has also been a frequent speaker and consultant on strategic management issues. Fadem is currently the managing director, Corporate Alliances at the School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania where he is also a member of the Core Team of the Mack Center for Technological Innovation at the Wharton School. In addition, Fadem is president of the Biomedical Research and Education Foundation.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xiii
Introduction: Questioning Is the Skill of Management	p. 1
Is There a Basic Set of Management Questions?	p. 1
Asking Questions Is the Skill of Effective Management	p. 3
How Good Are Your Skills?	p. 5
You Ask Too Many Questions	p. 7
Common Errors: How to Recognize and Correct Them	p. 15
What Are the Common Errors?	p. 15
Do You Have Habit Questions?	p. 16
Does Your Question Lack Context?	p. 17
Do You Put the Answer in the Question?	p. 18
Positioning: "Just a Country Lawyer..."	p. 20
Posturing: When the Questioner Suddenly Becomes Larger	p. 22
A "Casual" Question?	p. 25
Do You Speak "Jargonese"?	p. 27
Avoidance: If I Close My Eyes, Will the Elephant in the Room Disappear?	p. 28
No Question: Managing by "Wall"	p. 31
Neglected Questions	p. 33
If I Ask a Foolish Question, I'll Look Foolish	p. 33
Unasked Questions: If You Already Know the Answer, It Is Unnecessary to Ask the Question	p. 34
Someone Else (of Higher Authority or Greater Experience) Will Ask	p. 35
Saved Questions: I Will Save My Question for Another More Appropriate Time	p. 37
My Question Will Make Waves and Making Waves Is Bad	p. 38
Normalization of a Defect	p. 41
Misuses of Management Skills: Inquisitions Are Not the Only Abuse of Questioning	p. 43
Errors and the Misuse of Management Skills	p. 43
Is Your Question an Abuse of Power?	p. 44
Are There Questions That Should Not Be Asked?	p. 47
Questioning: Improve Your Skills	p. 53
What Are the Attributes of a Person Who Asks Good Questions?	p. 53
Are You Prepared to Ask?	p. 54
What's the Purpose of Your Question?	p. 56
Words: Are Some Words More Important Than Others?	p. 58
What Are the "Right" Questions?	p. 61
Is Everything We Ask Important?	p. 63
The Manner of Asking a Question: Style	p. 64
What Was That You Said?	p. 65
Can You Use a Raised Voice?	p. 66
What Is Your Personal Style for Asking Questions?	p. 68
Who Is Asking the Question?	p. 71
Who Are You as a Manager?	p. 73
Signs and Signals	p. 77
Hand Gestures and Other Physical Signals	p. 77
Eye Contact	p. 80
Demeanor, Body Language, and Facial Expressions	p. 81
Types of Questions	p. 85
Direct Questions	p. 86
Indirect Questions	p. 87
Open Questions	p. 88
Closed Questions	p. 90
Stupid Questions	p. 91
Filtering Questions	p. 92
Double-Direct Questions	p. 93
Hypothetical Questions (If, What If, Suppose)	p. 94
Provocative Questions	p. 95
Rhetorical Questions	p. 96
Reflective Questions	p. 97
Leading Questions	p. 98
The Pause as a Question	p. 99
Silent Questions	p. 101
One-Word Questions	p. 102
Clarifying Questions	p. 103
Divergent Questions	p. 104
Convergent Questions	p. 106
Redirecting Questions	p. 107
Negative Questions	p. 108
Either/Or Questions	p. 110
Loaded Questions	p. 111
Trick Questions	p. 112
Dual-Answer Closed Questions	p. 113
General Reference Questions to Keep Handy	p. 114
Use of Skills	p. 117
Do You Have a Plan?	p. 117
Follow-Ups and Probes	p. 125
Follow-Up Questions	p. 126
Probing Strategies	p. 133
Does the Manager Need to Control the Conversation?	p. 142
Strategies for Asking Tough Questions	p. 143
Mounting Challenges	p. 146
Eliciting Dissent	p. 147
Are You Prepared for Any Answer? What About a Surprise?	p. 151
The Use of Leading Questions	p. 155
Looking for Reasons	p. 156
Are You Asking for an Opinion?	p. 157
How Do You Evaluate New Ideas?	p. 158
Looking for Trouble?	p. 160
Strategies for the Setting	p. 161
Are You Prepared for Answers?	p. 163
Are You Prepared for Nonanswers?	p. 165
Have You Asked About the Fatal Flaw?	p. 166
Listening	p. 173
Listening: The "Hearing Phenomenon"	p. 173
What Are You Listening For?	p. 175
Avoiding Listening Errors	p. 177
Conclusions	p. 179
Is Socrates to Blame?	p. 179
Conclusions and Final Recommendations	p. 182
Epilogue	p. 185
Are You Still Here?	p. 185
Definitions	p. 187
References	p. 191
Questioning as a Spectator Sport: Where to Go to Watch and Learn the Game	p. 195
Endnotes	p. 199
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

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