11:11 Waves Blog 43: Questions

Every Monday, I share 1 question for you to contemplate, 1 idea from me, 1 quote from others, and 1 inspiration for us.

This week’s topic is: Questions

By now, you all know that I am fascinated by questions… crafting questions, asking questions and exploring questions. This week, as I was waiting for a festive Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks, I overheard a barista jokingly saying to his colleague: “Every now and then it’s good to question the question and those who ask questions”. I smiled and thought about the importance of questioning our questions. The art of questioning is about asking good questions, but also questioning further and questioning inwards. As our questions become deeper and more intentional, so does our experience of life. There is no way to know where a powerful question might lead you.

One Question for you

A question not asked is a door not opened.

Discuss the question here.

One Idea from me

Every question is a connector and there is much more to being an effective question-asker than simply having a great question. Beyond the words themselves, your intention and approach when asking are key to success.

The why of questions: The single most important factor in asking powerful and effective questions is the intent behind the question. This week I invite you to pick a conversation you plan to have with someone and intentionally take a moment before you ask a question. Ask yourself: What is my intention here? What is the deeper purpose of my question? Who is this question serving? How is this question serving me, the other person, the situation and the relationship?

The how of questions: A Chinese proverb says: “When a question is posed ceremoniously, the universe responds”. This week I invite you to reflect on how you can ask your questions ceremoniously. Think about what does it mean for you to really pay attention, to really listen, to really ask. Once you have explored this, pick one action you can implement in your next conversation and go for it.

The what of questions: A powerful question is one that generates curiosity, stimulates exploration and touches a deeper meaning. Crafting powerful questions takes practice and this week I invite you to experiment with an exercise. First of all, think about a yes or no question. Now, using the key words of the question, list all the possible questions you can ask starting with a different interrogative (e.g. what, how, why, when etc.). For example, if your question is: Are you satisfied with your job? Possible questions are: When have you been the most satisfied with your job? What is it about your job that you find most satisfying? Why may it be that your satisfaction with your job has had its ups and downs? As you move from the simple yes / no query towards the “why” question, you can sense that the questions are becoming more and more robust, stimulating and provoking a deeper level of conversation. Experiment with it, this week and see where it takes you.

One Quote from others

“Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.” Voltaire

One Inspiration for us

The question mark is a universally recognized symbol, yet its origins are quite mysterious. The most plausible theory is that the question mark originated from the Latin word quaestio (meaning question). The word was used in the Middle Ages by scholars and eventually was abbreviated to qo. With time, a capital Q was written over the o and it formed one letter which finally morphed into the modern question mark. Below is a picture so you can visualize the evolution journey.