Communication: Historical microphones on the table - managementberatung | coaching
Photo | BrAt82 on Shutterstock
2 min.

Leadership skills | Conversation skills

He who asks, leads. How to steer conversations towards a result.

From Sabine Walter

Children can do it. And they drive us adults almost crazy with the 35th "Why? The motivation behind it is as simple as it is fascinating: children are curious. They want to discover, they really want to understand. We adults have often forgotten how to ask questions and how to really understand. We assume, presuppose and conclude. Alone. In silence.

But the old German saying: "He who asks, leads." still holds true. Whether in two-way conversations, telephone calls or in meetings. Whether internally with colleagues and staff or externally with customers and service providers; those who ask purposefully not only gain a better understanding, but can also steer the conversation towards the desired outcome.

What does "purposeful questioning" mean? Asking purposefully means using the different types of questions appropriately and in a way that supports the achievement of my interview goal. During Open questions (W-questions), Information deliver, create closed questions Liability. Closed questions should rather be used at the end of a topic or conversation. "Can we stay like this?", "Do you agree with this?", "Is this the next step?".

Hypothetical questions ("Let's say ..., how could ...") help with this, Resistance to overcome. Alternative questions (either - or) steer towards decisions.

In our work, we experience again and again that many people find it difficult to genuine interest in the other person and to ask open questions. And what we did to perfection as children, we adults should get into the habit of doing again. Why? Why? Why? Why exactly? This Motif questions tell us something about Drivers and motivators of our conversation partner. If we know these, it is much easier for us to convince the other person of an idea, a service, a project or a product.

You can train with us in two seminars how to use questions in such a targeted way that you can lead conversations and meetings to the desired result in the allotted time. In the seminar "Communicate purposefully" we apply, among other things, targeted questioning in various conversation situations and thus also control difficult conversation partners. The seminar "Leading meetings successfully" focuses on meetings and shows you how to significantly shorten your meeting times by asking specific questions.

Did you find this article helpful?

Contact Newsletter Whiteboard

Whiteboard selection

Two boys tinker with a vintage car - promoting entrepreneurship - netzwerk managementberatung | coaching
Photo | Vasilyev Alexandr on Shutterstock
To the whiteboard
Call now