What’s your sequence of questions

When we need to gather information from people, engage with them or elicit details, it makes sense that we ask questions. 

In preparation for that conversation, collaboration, interview, podcast, enquiry, meeting or consultation... what’s your question sequence? 

‘Winging it’ lacks strategy and can miss out on important things. Even though we may like to ‘go with the flow’ of a conversation, you can still prepare a sequence of questions and riff or flow within and around them. 

Consider:
What do you need to find out?
How will you get things started?
How will you open it up?
How will you dive in or probe further?
How will you determine what the real focus/problem/situation is? 
How will you bring things to a close?

Questioning is a learned skill and our mental cupboards that store questions are in need of a tidy up, refresh and renew.

Instead of thinking of ‘a few questions’, consider the sequence that will get you where you need to be ... efficiently and effectively. 

What’s the order, what’s first and where is it going? 

‘How did you get started?' could be the wrong question

When we’re starting a new venture, launching something or seeking advice, we may ask the default question, ‘How did you get started?’

It’s the wrong question. Well yes, ok, it’s a nice question and we hear someone’s story and learn interesting things about them. But... What if we asked a better question or series of questions? (Have we even thought about what those questions could be?)

What further, better and more helpful insights might be uncovered with more revealing questions? The starting or origin activity is nowhere near as insightful as the 1000s of decisions and actions that precede it or follow it. The origin activity could be as a result of luck, networks, opportunity, invitations or a happy collision. Great, nice to know. But what has happened since then?

What mindset, choices, decisions and experiments did this person experience, conduct, endure or achieve? This is where the insight is. In those 1000s of decisions and actions.

When you’re interviewing, podcasting, hosting a panel discussion, being the MC, introducing someone or having a conversation, go for something more than ‘How did you get started?’ There's so much more there.

Careful how you answer this popular job interview question!

Next time you’re preparing for a job role interview, think carefully. If a potential employer asks the classic question about weaknesses, what will you say?

Many people offer in response to the ‘What’s your greatest weakness?’ question that they're a perfectionist. They think it still sounds positive, not too bad a weakness.

Saying you're a perfectionist can sound like you're a hard worker and that you have high standards. But beware! Perfectionism isn’t turning out to be a good trait after all.

Recent data from PhD researchers Curran and Hill have uncovered that perfectionism is on the rise globally and it's a behaviour that's not making us feel good about ourselves nor helping us bring our best to a job role. Perfectionism has links to depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, migraines, asthma, insomnia and plenty of other nasties.

It's time to stop putting our hand up for something that isn't helping us or a potential employer.

What's a weakness you'd rather share in an interview ... that's not perfectionism?