There are times we don’t know what we’re looking for when we engage one another. We want the other’s thoughts. We want them to brainstorm, associate, cluster, explore, dump out the contents of their brains into view so we can sift and see if there’s anything there useful or interesting. This kind of thinking is what gets generated from open-ended questions.
However, at other times, we’re looking for something specific. Not all conversations are free-flowing explorations. Sometimes, we need structure. When we're looking for specifics, it's often helpful to sort the stuff into boxes called categories.
Categorical Questions
Often these are questions raised by the systems of our brain we use to understand rules, processes and time as depth and distance.
“Does this directive come from corporate?”
“What evidence do you have for this conclusion?”
“How long do you expect it will take you to finish?”
“What’s our next action?”
Dr. Robert Lefton puts this style of exploration into three categories.
Most categorical questions are simple findings of fact.
“Where were you at 9pm on Thursday the 23rd?”
“Did you get the delivery this morning?”
“Can you meet in an hour?”
“Who told you to do this?”
Commitment Questions
Other questions ask you to sign up, take responsibility, agree, commit.
Commitment questions are very important. It’s easy to mistake enthusiasm or lack of enthusiasm for level of commitment.
To the question: “Do you want to go to Disneyland?” An associative response might be: “Oh I love Disneyland. I had my senior prom there.” Which sounds like yes, until the commitment question: “Shall I book tickets?” “No. It won’t seem the same. I want to keep my memories.”
Or
“Want to go to Disneyland?” A sequential response might be: “Four days there will be expensive.” Which sounds like resistance, until: “Does this mean you don’t want to go?” “Not at all. I’ll book tickets. I just need to find where I can get a flat of water bottles so we don’t have to use the hotel mini bar every time we get thirsty.”
Option Questions
Option questions are often directives embedded in a limited choice. Option questions are a powerful form of categorical questions because directives often provoke resistance. Even worse, they can promote passive resistance, an opposition that's hard to see and address. When a directive includes a choice, it reduces the cognitive bias to resist.
“Do you want to meet Tuesday or Wednesday to go over your report?” means we are going to meet to go over my report, but I have some control over when.
“We’re not even close to finished. Should we order sandwiches or pizza?” means I am going to be working late on this project. Again, having the directive offering some element within my control, weakens the reflex to resist.
Nearly all of us respond better when offered choices, even if limited. Parents, who get resistance when we say, “Let’s put on your sweater, dear,” often get ready compliance when we say, “Do you want to wear your red sweater or your blue sweater.”
There are several times when it’s important to pose questions as options. The most important is when we don’t want an open-ended response; we don’t want brainstorming; we want our partners to keep their thinking inside the box: thank you very much.
A sure way to annoy me is to ask me to brainstorm possibilities when the leader has already taken some things off the table.
Please don’t ask me to imagine the next place to open a new branch if there has been a decision made already to eliminate some possible choices.
Please don’t ask me when I want to meet to go over my report if you have to complete your review by Friday.
Using option questions to drive group decision making
Option questions keep us focused. Option questions are also useful when we are driving toward a goal.
Option questions are important when time matters. Option questions are important when you have an agenda, and need to limit discussion.
Option questions are often useful after brainstorming to hone our thinking. Option questions shift us from associative processing to sequential processing, or, in other words, from model-based thinking to rule-based thinking.
“Should we use our next round of marketing dollars in the Ohio market or the Florida market?” Instead of, “Which of the initiatives on the board has the most potential?”
Option questions winnow choices: Which do you like better, option A or option F? Option F? Okay, now which do you like better, option F or option C?” Tightly focused rounds of option questions help in sorting through a richness of possibilities.
Sometimes, when everything’s out of the box, it’s helpful to put some things into boxes.
Up next: What if? Imagining an outcome without conflict.
Warm regards,
Francis Sopper
REFERENCED IN THIS LETTER:
Dr. Robert Lefton: https://www.stlmag.com/news/the-ceos-confidant/