Leadership Tip#3: Change the questions you ask

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Dr. Marilee Adams, PhD of the Inquiry Institute pioneered research around how the recurring questions organizations and people ask themselves set their course. To fundamentally change course, change the questions. Dr. Adams distinguishes between “judger questions” and “learner questions”. Judger questions tend to focus on fault and literally limit our perspective. They constrain our thinking, preventing us from seeing all the available options. Examples of judger questions are:

• Whose fault is it?
• What’s wrong with me?
• What’s wrong with them?
• Why can’t I ever win?
• Why are they so dumb and irritating?
• Why bother?
  

In contrast, learner questions focus on the facts, invite exploration, and open up our thinking to new possibilities. Examples of learner questions are:

• What happened?
• What do I want?
• What are the facts?
• What assumptions am I making?
• What are they thinking, feeling, and wanting?
• What can I learn?
• What am I responsible for?
• What is possible?
• What are my choices?
• What’s best to do now?

When we change the questions, we change our lives. For more, read Change your questions, change your life by Marilee Adams, PhD.