Well-crafted positive questions draw out the kinds of answers that are much better coming from others than a self-righteous criticiser or expert. Frequently, these questions defuse situations by skirting past a person’s mental defenses. In consequence, we start others changing their stories, habits, and motivations, for good. Clearly, how to influence others hinges on good questions, to bring the most important information to light, shift the way people think about an event, and spark renewed interest in a topic. As we ask positive questions and listen to answers, we prime ourselves to disrupt negative thinking in others. From this, we make our positive messages more important and persuasive.
Here Spotlights How To Influence Others Positively With Four Major Types Of Questions That Change The Frequency To Positive, And Promote Empowering Change
1. Ask Probing “Why” Questions
Asking others “why” questions starts them focused on the meaning behind the work they do. That motivates. For instance, by asking the right questions about why success is occurring, an executive can garner from her sales reps meaningful and moving stories bordering on compassion, dedication, creativity, and ingenuity. In the home front, parents can create incredible value by asking of their kids, “why did you get an A in that english test?” “Why did you get your homework done early?” “Asking” what are you doing?” is not very constructive or helpful until you follow up with, “why are you doing that?”
2. Stimulate Others Forward With Shift-The-Focus Questions
Shift-the-focus questions haves others shifting their thinking or stories away from the negative to the positive. They change the focal point of a person’s mental resources, allowing new ideas and patterns to emerge. For example, sales people use this technique when they ask, “do you have time to spend on waiting for your computer to load?” Probably, the executive will reply that he is a busy person. Clearly, the sales person has now shifted the focus away from the cost of a new computer to the cost of lost productivity, to influence the executive to buy from him.
As well, parents employ this type of question to great effect. “Would you like to go to sleep now or stay up for five minutes, and then go to sleep?” The child may likely reply that he prefers to stay up for extra five minutes. With this, the child mentally focuses on the privilege of getting five more minutes instead of putting up resistance to the enforced bedtime.
In plain, these questions help us lead others towards greater and repeated success. They benefit the person answering them by stimulating the individual to actively scan the environment for the positive parts of his or her reality. With this, we ask in other notions of how to influence others positively.
Motivating Others To Change The Way They View Their Value
Further, here are additional examples of shifting-the-focus questions that starts others shifting their focus and changing the way they view their value to themselves or their organisation. Positive, action-oriented questions stimulate positive results. “What is working well right now that we need to do more of?” “When are you at your best?” Identifying the times when you at your best professionally and personally, and the reasons why, headlines constructive. It helps you to make small habit changes to take you back there mentally and emotionally.
More of the questions feature. “What did you do to get a good result or grade on that project?” This question illuminates the successful parts of the process towards achievement. It motivates us to improve or cut certain parts. “What are your three greatest strengths?” As we focus on strengths, we mentally focus on meaning and success. Forward, as we talk about the weaker areas, we can import our strengths to deal with those areas. “What was the best part of your day?” This question helps others to shift their focus to the high moments of their day, and feel more positive.
Shifting-the-focus questions stimulates others to rebalance their view of the world, and focus on the parts of their life that move them forward and open the door on innovation, in spite of challenges.
3. Start Others Exploring The Next-Best Option Or Options
Next-best questions keep us from lamenting, over extremely difficult circumstances, and wasting mental resources in the process. They stimulate us to formulate how to make the best of a bad situation or situations beyond our control. For example, if a person is suffering, and there is no cure, his doctor can pose a next-best question to him and his family members. “Given what your family is up against, what are you hoping for?” As the option of a cure is unavailable, this question gets families to look beyond that, to stop lamenting the lack of cure, and devise a way to make the best of a bad situation.
In line with, the family can draw up a list of wishes. Making happy memories before the end of the loved one’s life. To manage his or her pain. Letting him or her spend the remainder of the days at home, not the hospital. To sketch out a plan to fulfill their wishes, stimulates them to move from automatic failure, no cure, to modest success in achieving some of those wishes.
Moving Beyond The Limits Of The Current Situation
Next-best questions move us beyond the limits of the current situation, to the parts of our reality we can control. This reflects the true essence of how to influence others positively. Again, they motivate us to change the line of our thoughts from negative to positive, as we make a realistic assessment of the present moment. More, it prompts us to break past some long-held assumptions that keep us trying the same solutions, over and over, and invites in new thinking.
Also, next-best questions starts us in a positive direction at home or workplace. They open up potential options that were previously hidden. More questions in this pattern feature. “What would be the next best option here?” “What can we do to create a positive change here?” From clinging irrationally to rigid patterns of a desired outcome to evaluating new and next best alternatives, next-best questions stimulate us to action steps of positive change.
4. Ask What Else?
To ask what else can stimulate your subordinates, colleagues, and kids, to talk about matters important to them, that you might have missed. Through this question, you can get surprising information that helps you become successful. Questions in this mold feature. “Is there anything else we missed?” “What did we miss?” “Is there anything we have forgotten to discuss that you want to add?” “Is there anything else you want to tell me that I may not have asked about?” “What else did I forget to ask about?”
Conclusion
A single positive question can alter the direction of someone’s thinking. Consequently, we start experiencing successful outcomes. When we ask questions, others feel more a part of a process. Plus, positive questions help us shift the story away from stress and fear, to education and empowerment. This hallmarks ideas behind how to influence others positively.
