Questions are integral part of human conversation to know the real of people. It is an art which if used wisely has the potential to get excellent mileage and trust with people. The art is to get what you want without offending your subject. On different note the art is also to please people by showing genuine interest in them. While we will talk more about it, first it is important to understand what open ended questions and closed ended questions are and how they differ from each other.

 

Closed Ended Questions are

1)     Clear and concise

2)     One that can be answered with one or two word

3)     One that can be answered with yes or no

 

The examples of Closed Ended Questions Include

1)     Manager Asking his team mate if the project has been completed

2)     Husband Asking wife – is dinner ready

3)     A CEO asking striking employees to take it or leave it

 

Open Ended Questions are

1)     One that ask for opinion

2)     One that expand conversation

3)      One that is more intriguing in nature

 

The Examples of Open Ended Questions include

 

1)     Manager Asking Team mate about his experience with new project, what he learned and if he wanted to share something

2)     A husband asking wife how was her day and if she is feeling good today

3)     A CEO inviting striking employees to come and talk about their problems in order to reach an amicable solution.

 

If you haven’t noticed by now, let me tell you the difference between open ended questions and closed ended question

 

1)     Open ended questions calls for good conversation

2)     Open ended questions calls for knowing more about people and their experiences

3)     Open ended questions calls for better understanding of the people

 

It is in human nature that

1)     A conversation makes people know about each other

2)     A conversation bring close the like minded people

3)     A conversation  clears gap and vacuum that may arise between two people

And Open Ended Questions are best way to get People close to each other. It is important that the discussion is fruitful and both parties are interested to know more about each other.

 

While above is the importance of conversation and how open ended questions gives you an opportunity to get best of it, the magic does not ends here.

 

You can use Open ended questions skillfully to solve two purposes

 

To get real behind the face of people

1)     The more people talk the more they reveal themselves

2)     The more people talk the more they would let things from inside to come out

3)     The more people talk the more door they would open to get peep into their nature

 

And it is useful in every sense

 

1)     You can know more about the employee you wish to hire

2)     You can know more about the girl you wish to marry

3)     You can know more about the company you wish to join

 

The Second Purpose is to impress people. Yes, open ended questions give you an opportunity to

 

1)     To let people talk more about themselves

2)     To let people feel important

3)     To let people know that we are very much interested to know more about them

 

It is an excellent tool simply because

 

1)     It lets people think they are important

2)     It lets people think they are wanted

3)     On other end, they would take you as a nice person and someone they can depend upon

 

Continued Below.........

Yes, share the feelings of people and they are bound to get emotionally attached with you. The gain is the trust, friendship and togetherness which could not have happened if there is no conversation or use of closed ended questions instead of open ended question.

 

This is an essential soft skill, be conscious of it and try to master it.

 

Ask Open Ended Questions

 

Your success= How efficiently you develop the art of asking Open Ended Questions.

 

Photo Credit- marimoon

Open Ended Questions

Related posts:

1. How To Ask For A Raise