THE GOAL OF asking questions is to get answers. Leaders ask questions to gather information, understand motivations, and uncover problems. Questions asked and answered in the workplace can uncover emotions, discover new approaches, and increase efficiency. All these desirable outcomes assume one thing-someone actually got answers to the questions they asked. You see, asking a question doesn't guarantee an answer. Life doesn't unfold like a TV courtroom drama. You remember the scene. The lawyer asks the guilty party a tough question. There's a pause-a long pause. The lawyer looks at the judge; the judge bangs the gavel and sternly says to the witness, "You are instructed to answer the question." The witness, properly admonished, takes a deep breath and confesses all. That's the fictionalized version of how questions work.
In the real world, there is no judge to compel an answer. Getting good answers to questions is left to the skill of the questioner. There are five behaviors you need to master to increase the quality and quantity of the answers you receive.