The Importance of Asking the Right Questions

Recently I looked into having my website freshened up. Among the replies from prospective designers which I received, two were very insightful. The first designer responded by email stating in one line what they would do, with a ball park price which seemed reasonable. The second designer asked if we could meet so he could have clarity what I was looking for. During the meeting he posed questions of which I had not thought and recommendations that I had not considered. The first designer was clear about what they would do; in the second case, the designer provided clarity for both me and him.

When all you have is a hammer, everything becomes a nail. That is not only true for would-be carpenters and web site designers; it is also true for consultants. A consultant must be careful that the solution is driven less by the answer the consultant provides and more by the questions the client is asking.

Our board is dysfunctional. What can you do for us?

Our executive director runs the board meetings. How can we change that?

 We don’t feel effective as a board. How can you help us and what would you charge?

As a consultant (who likes to appear competent), I initially feel the pressure to provide a definitive answer and now. However I need to keep coming back to one of my basic assumptions about consulting…and about life. Finding the right answer starts with asking the right question. As such one of the roles of a good consultant is to help the client identify the correct question.

What does dysfunctional look like in the context of your board; how does it evidence itself?

How did the executive director, who is ostensibly the employee of the board, become the boss? And What is the culture that has caused that to be acceptable?

If I gave you a price for consulting, how would you determine if that was a reasonable fee?

These probing questions challenge the client to think through their response, to which their answers provide more clarity for the consultant to ask yet more clarifying questions. This forces the consultant to listen carefully and thus assist the client to more clearly identify the issues.

Just a reminder to myself that I must avoid the temptation to come up with the right answer before I have understood the right question.