▍ Can't ask good questions, let's drift away from the answer
In our daily work and life, we always encounter or personally experience some of the following problems:
Some people want to buy a new computer, but they don't know what kind to buy, so they will ask their friends without thinking: "Which computer do you think is good?" ”
There are also people who want to improve their product capabilities, but do not know what to do, so they will directly ask in the WeChat group: "How to be a good product manager?" ”
Others want to learn a technical language, so they ask their friends: I want to learn programming, can you teach me? Friends will say: programming is extensive, what language do you want to learn? What are your goals? What basis do you have? But he would say, "I don't know, I just want to learn to code."
The common denominator of these questions is that they are expressed too broadly and vaguely, without clearly identifying the specific aspects or specific situations that the questioner wants to know.
Since the question itself is not clearly defined, does not explain the questioner's own needs, preferences and other conditions, and does not give specific options or criteria, such questions are very difficult to answer, and it is easy to cause misunderstanding or argument. This not only confuses and confuses the respondent, but also detracts from effective communication and learning.
For example, "What are some tips for learning English?" The question is too broad and does not indicate whether the questioner wants to learn listening, speaking or reading, nor does it indicate what the current level of English and learning goals are.
As a result, different respondents may offer completely different techniques, most of which may not be relevant or useful to the questioner.
In contrast, if the question is more specific and clear, such as "My English listening is poor, what are some tips to improve English listening?" Such questions make it easier to get targeted answers and suggestions.
Obviously, a general and vague question is not a good question. From the perspective of the interests of the questioner, the question should be asked as far as possible to avoid being too general and vague.
They should express their needs, preferences, goals or difficulties as specifically and clearly as possible, so that they are more conducive to obtaining satisfactory and useful answers, and more conducive to effective communication and learning.
▍Why can't we always ask good questions?
Clearly defined questions make it easier to find answers to your questions. Because defining clear questions helps us identify the gap between the status quo and expectations, and what we are trying to achieve.
From the point of view of absolute rationality, it is actually easier to get accurate and useful answers to well-defined questions.
But why, from the actual situation, do most of us still ask general, vague, and abstract questions in the questioning scene?
After a comprehensive analysis of various situations, in fact, the main reasons are as follows:
- The questioner did not analyze his question enough to discover the key points and details of the problem.
- They don't do enough homework, look up relevant materials or try to solve problems on their own, but go directly to others for help.
- The questioner does not take into account the perspective and context of the respondent, and does not give enough information and context to help the respondent understand the question.
In summary, there are two underlying reasons why we "do not define clear problems, but ask general, abstract questions":
We lack the ability to understand the problem in depth. - One word, lazy. This is why we want to ask the people around us for help: we don't understand the problem deeply, we don't feel competent on a subjective level, we don't bother to think of solutions, and asking others questions to get answers to their questions seems like a way to "take shortcuts".
We lack the ability to pinpoint the problem clearly. - One word, shallow. That is why we ask general, abstract questions. We don't know how to explain to others a complete, logical, clear, and in-depth explanation of what the problem we are encountering, and we can't see the whole picture and connection within the problem, and we can only describe an outline.
Clarify the reasons why we ask general and vague questions, and improve these underlying capabilities in a targeted manner, so that we can really learn to define the problem clearly and ask good questions, and no longer let us drift away from the real answer to the problem.
▍The premise of asking good questions is to improve the depth of looking at problems
Nietzsche once said, "The wisdom of a man is the depth of the questions he raises."
Asking thought-provoking questions can even trigger a shift in the direction of the development of the entire discipline and promote unprecedented scientific and technological progress.
For example, the introduction of "capital" promoted the development of political economy and social change. The theory of "surplus value" put forward by Marx in his book Capital not only completely changed the view of classical political economy, but also became the theoretical basis of later socialist and communist movements.
The introduction of Capital not only promoted the development of political economy, but also profoundly influenced the social changes of the 19th and 20th centuries, and still affects the global political and economic landscape today. It also proves that asking questions with profound implications can drive disciplinary progress and social change.
The reason why the torture of "surplus value" in Capital can profoundly affect the development of economics lies in the depth of Marx's view of the theme of labor relations. The premise of asking a good question is to improve the depth of your own view.
The key to improving the depth of looking at problems is to analyze and think about problems from multiple angles, not just on the surface. For example, if a child in a school has recently experienced a significant drop in grades. As a principal, if you just ask the teacher: "Why have my children's grades dropped recently?" ", there may not be any valuable information.
But if you ask questions after improving the depth of looking at the problem, the dialogue process should be like this:
What is the essence of the problem? What is the underlying reason? For example, the problem of students' declining academic performance may be essentially insufficient motivation to learn, and the deep reason may be that the curriculum does not attract students and the teaching method is single.
What are the relevant details or assumptions? Are these details or assumptions reasonable? For example, we assume that the reason for the decline is interference from smartphones and online games, but whether this assumption is correct needs further verification.
How will different stakeholders view this issue? What are their needs and demands? For example, students, parents, and teachers may have different views on this issue, and their needs and demands will be different.
How will time and environment affect this issue? How does the problem change over time? For example, with the popularity of smart devices and the development of emerging technologies, the learning environment and ways are constantly changing, which can have an impact on academic performance.
What are the relevant principles, theories, or models that can be applied to this problem? For example, learning motivation theory, instructional design theory, etc. can be applied to analyze the problem of declining academic performance.
What are the implications or consequences of addressing this issue? How important are these impacts and outcomes? For example, improving academic performance can increase students' motivation to learn and develop good study habits, and these effects are all important.
The above dialogue process is very physically demanding, but through continuous questioning, the questioner and the answerer have established extensive and in-depth thinking, we can discover the complexity of the problem itself, find the key to the problem, and ask more precise and valuable questions.
The key to asking a good question is to understand the problem deeply, not just superficially. Through extensive and in-depth thinking, considering the essence of the problem, relevant details, different angles, influencing factors, etc., we can find the key to the problem and ask more precise and valuable questions. This requires us to constantly improve the depth and breadth of our own perspective.
▍The key to asking a good question is to accurately locate the problem
Albert Einstein once said, "Good scientists solve problems, great scientists define problems." ”
The key to asking a good question is precisely the problem of definition. Only by clearly defining the problem can we truly find an efficient solution. So, how do scientists define the problem precisely?
For example, when Einstein thought about relativity and gravity, he started with intuitive imagination.
For example, he imagines himself sitting on the light, so what will he see? This imagination could help him discover the core idea of the theory of relativity.
When studying gravity, he imagined himself jumping off the windowsill and experiencing the feeling of falling, giving rise to the concept of "gravity." This intuitive imagination helped Einstein discover the nature of many scientific problems.
For example, when Darwin studied the theory of evolution, he would carefully observe phenomena and look for the laws behind them.
He observed that wild animals and plants in different regions have different characteristics, which indicates that these characteristics are the result of environmental adaptation; He also observed the results of artificial selection and found that artificial selection could produce new varieties. These observations inspired the core ideas of his theory of evolution.
For example, when Koch discovered Mycobacterium tuberculosis, he first proposed the hypothesis that "tuberculosis is caused by a pathogen". To test this hypothesis, he conducted a large number of experiments: observing changes in sputum samples under the microscope, extracting strains from the samples, and injecting the cultures into experimental animals to observe the results. These experiments validated his hypothesis and eventually discovered Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
In summary, the main ways for scientists to locate problems are: starting from intuitive imagination and discovering the essence of the problem; Carefully observe phenomena and look for patterns between things; Hypotheses are proposed and tested experimentally.
The ability of scientists to pinpoint problems, and to move from intuitive imagination to empirical reasoning, is an important reason for their scientific achievements. When we solve problems, we should also learn from the thinking and empirical spirit of scientists locating problems.
To improve your ability to locate problems, you first need to develop the habit of asking questions, especially when learning or solving problems. Asking good questions requires us to fully think and analyze the problem, understand the key points and details of the problem, and clarify the gap between the status quo and the goal.
Second, when asking a question, you need to take into account the respondent's perspective and provide enough information and context to help the respondent understand the question. You can refer to the method of 5W1H, that is, try to cover the following aspects when asking questions:
- What: What exactly is the problem? What goals or needs need to be addressed?
- When: When does this happen or need to be addressed? Is there a time limit or sequence?
- WHO: Who is involved in this issue? This includes questioners, responders, users, customers, and more.
- Where: Where does this happen or needs to be addressed? Is there a specific site or environment?
- Why: Why is this problem? Is there a deep reason or motivation?
- How: How to solve this problem? Are there any considerations for feasibility, difficulty, cost, etc.?
Finally, be open and humble about the answers to your questions. Don't be overconfident in your questions and assumptions, understand that questions often don't have absolute answers, and different people may offer different insights.
Maintaining an open and rational attitude when listening to and evaluating different responses is also an important part of improving your ability to identify problems.
All in all, pinpointing a problem requires us to think deeply about the problem, start from an intuitive perspective, provide enough information from the perspective of others, and maintain an open and rational attitude to the answer to the question. Improving these abilities requires constant practice and summary, but the results will be worth the effort.
▍What tools or models are available that can help us ask good questions?
There are many tools and models that can help us better locate problems. Here I will give you a few examples, some of the tools and models I usually use:
5W1H Model:
That is, the What, When, Who, Where, Why, How, etc. involved in the question. This is a very practical tool that can help us think about problems from multiple angles and find the key points and details of the problem.
Problem tree model:
Find the root cause of the problem by constantly asking "why" and build a hierarchical relationship between the problem and the cause. This model helps us to deeply understand the causes of the problem and find the most basic root cause so that we can take targeted solutions.
Fishbone diagram model:
Through causal analysis of the cause and effect of the problem, the relationship between the problem is shown in an intuitive graph, and the key influencing factors and results are identified. This model is often used for the analysis of complex problems, and the interaction effect between the problems needs to be considered.
Problem Solving Mind Map:
Through the way of mind map, it is unfolded from all levels of the problem, including causes, effects, related concepts, solutions, etc., and the key elements and relationships of the problem are presented in a clear graphical way. This can help us clarify the context of the problem and find the key breaking points.
In addition to the commonly used tools and models mentioned above, it is also possible to use the question-and-answer approach to discuss problems and formulate various hypotheses with others; You can also consult relevant materials to understand the solutions and lessons learned from the same type of problems; You can also try different solutions through practice and gain experience in problem localization.
In short, improving the ability to ask a good question requires us to constantly learn and practice.
▍ Summary
The reason why we can't ask good questions is because most of us always ask general, vague, abstract questions in the questioning scenario.
From the perspective of the underlying logic, it is because we lack the ability to deeply understand the problem and clearly locate the problem:
The key to improving our ability to understand problems is not just superficial. Through extensive and in-depth thinking, considering the essence of the problem, relevant details, different angles, influencing factors, etc., to find the key to the problem, and put forward more accurate and valuable questions, we continue to improve the depth and breadth of our own view of the problem.
To improve our ability to clearly locate problems, I need to start from intuitive imagination and discover the essence of the problem; Carefully observe phenomena and look for patterns between things; Hypotheses are proposed and tested experimentally. Improving these abilities requires constant practice and summary, but the results will be worth the effort.
In addition to commonly used tools and models such as 5W1H, problem tree model, fishbone diagram model, and problem-solving thinking model, you can also use question and answer to discuss problems with others and put forward various hypotheses; You can also consult relevant materials to understand the solutions and lessons learned from the same type of problems; You can also try different solutions through practice and gain experience in problem localization.
What are your good questions about how to ask a good question? Welcome to discuss together in the comment area. If you think the content of the article is good, welcome to like and support it.