Questions to Spark Interesting Conversations

I geek out over questions. Some would say I overthink questions. My counterpoint is that it's my job.

As a sports broadcaster I ask questions for a living. I know the value of asking great questions. I know that the answers you get are a reflection of the questions asked and I know that when you ask strategic, intentional and thoughtful questions you'll get insightful answers. Answers that tell a story, that bring out an emotion, that help you make a connection and play a role in building relationships.

All of those things are important in my job and it's why I happily geek out over the questions I ask. 

Asking questions that spark insightful conversations isn't just important on TV. I need the same interactions as a business owner and as a friend. Unfortunately conversational norms often get in the way of insightful conversations, or at the very least make them more difficult. 

Here are three guidelines to asking questions that spark insightful conversations:

1. There's a specific objective behind each question. 

2. There's only one answer to a great question. Meaning the question is specific enough that the person responding knows exactly what they're going to say. Contrary to popular belief (and where conventional wisdom gets in the way) open ended questions don't always lead to great conversations. They often lead to confusion. 

3. You are able to answer your own question. As in, the question actually has an answer and if the tables were turned you could give a response. 

While you are thinking of your own questions and how you could tweak them to promote more engaging conversations you can download a list of questions that I curated over the years for professional athletes and even an MLB team looking for questions that helped them evaluate young talent. 

The download is completely free and includes 25 questions for use at work and in small talk. I really like the questions about your inner circle on the first page and since I'm always down for breakfast the question on page two about breakfast food you can eat any time of day always feels satisfying. 

Enjoy the download and let me know your favorites!