The Executive and the Socratic method of asking the right questions

Questioning is a skill. Many of us don’t realize the importance it carries, especially in a role where gathering information while simultaneously teaching is important — just like the executive role at a company.

The Socratic method is built around asking a series of focused, open-ended questions that encourage reflection. The attention remains on the direct report and should avoid jargon and reduce confusion. The questioning does not suggest there is a correct or preferred answer (ie: neutral tone).

Some suggestions:

Type	Questions
Clarification	What do you mean when you say XYZ? Could you explain that point further? Can you provide an example?
Challenging assumptions	Is there a different point of view? What assumptions are we making here? Are you saying that…?
Evidence and reasoning	Can you provide an example that supports what you are saying? Can we validate that evidence? Do we have all the information we need?
Alternative viewpoints	Are there alternative viewpoints? How could someone else respond, and why?
Implications and consequences	How would this affect someone (some team)? What are the long-term implications of this?
Challenging the question	What do you think was important about that question? What would have been a better question to ask?