Sandy Roth and
Terry Goss
In this exercise, you and your team will have an opportunity to experiment with learning how to ask expansive questions. Plan for three hours of work. Begin with a discussion of the following characteristics of good questions. See if you can come up with some examples of each characteristic.
* A good question expresses genuine curiosity.
* A good question has an inner logic related to the questioner`s intention and the respondent`s experiences.
* A good question orders words in such a way that thinking is clarified for both the asker and the responder.
* Tone of voice and body language must be congruent with the nature of the question.
* A good question can reveal new information not previously part of awareness.
* A good question challenges existing thinking and encourages reflection.
* A good question is an essential part of an ongoing dialogue that advances the relationship between the participants.
Once you have completed this exercise, identify recent interactions with patients that illustrate some successful events and some not-so-successful ones. Ask team members to share the types of questions (if any) they used and the impact of those questions. Then identify specific questions that might have been used and engage in a bit of role-playing.
One team member will take the role of the patient and adopt the perspective of that person. Experiment with different questions and approaches until you have a good sense of what might work for you. What have you discovered?
At the conclusion of your meeting, make some notes about what you learned and what you want to begin applying immediately. Throughout the next few weeks, pay attention to the types of questions you ask and what happens. Be prepared to report back to the team at a subsequent meeting. Share with the team your successes and where you got stuck. Ask for feedback and keep the process going. Best wishes from Sandy and Terry, and let us know if you need some help with this exercise.
