A Gretchenfrage is the queen of all questions. It strikes deep to the core of an issue. It makes the person being questioned think deeply and hopefully come up with a genuine answer to a genuine question. The German word has its origins in Goethe’s tragic play Faust. Having sold his soul to the devil himself, protagonist Dr Faust is thrown off balance by a simple question coming from his beloved Gretchen.
The Power of Asking Questions
Questions are “the principal intellectual instruments available to human beings”. They’re available to anyone regardless of status and education.
Those who ask the questions tend to be in charge.
Sometimes, the absence of a good answer can be just as insightful
Alexander’s Question
Alexander’s Question
- What new information would it take to make you change your mind?
- Forces respondents to reconsider their level of confidence regarding their decisions
- Looks for evidence that would disprove our assessment so we can recalibrate it
- When the conversation happens within a group, and stakes are high, we might want to consider Premortem Analysis
Closed Questions
These can be answered with a single word (Yes, No, Egypt), or with a short phrase (Down there., On my 18th birthday).
Useful to ask about specific facts or events (What revolves around the earth?) or to seek confirmation (Are we in agreement).
Calibrated Questions
Calibrated Questions
- These harness the power of open questions that start with how
- They’re great for eliciting information from a counterpart who’s making demands you’re inclined to reject
- Used smartly, they keep someone’s mind busy to come up with answers while they feel in control
Open Questions
Open Questions
- More likely to receive an elaborate answer
- Potential downside: respondent is in control of conversation and may change subjects
- There’s nothing intrinsically good or bad about using open or closed questions
- It’s possible to answer a closed question with a long rant or reply to an open one with a single word
The Columbo Method
Columbo was a popular TV show from the 70s to the 90s. The cigar-smoking homicide detective was famous for his washed-out trench coat, rundown French car, goofy-looking basset hound and perpetually confused demeanour.
- Get people talking by asking them casual, random open questions
- Faint ignorance, act genuinely confused and incompetent to make yourself appear harmless
- Once people are put at ease, drop a question that gets to the heart of what you really want to know
Beyond Words
Bonus: Beyond Words
- Even the best questions will fall flat if your counterparts don’t recognize when you’re asking them
- Use upward inflections to signal curiosity and your intention to get a reply
- The more profound your question, the more time someone will need to consider an answer
Story-eliciting Questions
Story-eliciting Questions
- Humans tend to think in narratives
- We can use this to our advantage by prompting a respondent to reveal information in the form of a narrative
- Useful whenever we don’t want to be given a series of dry facts, justifications or opinions
- What’s one of the hardest choices you’ve made in your life?
- When have you said to yourself, “I’ll never do that again!”?”
Chunking Questions
Chunking Questions
- They’re useful for navigating the level of detail in a conversation and come in two flavours: chunk up or chunk down.
- Sometimes people get lost in the details. It can be worthwhile to chunk up, probe the details for their relevance or have your conversation partner put them back into the larger context.
