Effective Questioning Techniques

Overview

Discussed strategies to ask questions when we don't fully understand a topic.
Introduced three personas: Cunning Cunningham, Humble Hannah, and Curious Cathy.
Goals: Turn lack of knowledge into an advantage and be memorable.

Derived from Cunningham's Law: To get the right answer, state a wrong answer.
Humans have a tendency to correct others, making them engage more.
Example: Bradley Hayes Meyer interviewing Elon Musk about SpaceX.
- Meyer made a statement leading Musk to elaborate and correct him, yielding more information.
Use this method to articulate a misunderstood concept and let the expert correct you.

Set expectations and be socially humble.
Acknowledge your limited understanding and connect it to your expertise.
Normalize lack of knowledge among peers.
Helps the speaker adjust the depth of their explanation.
Example Question Using This Technique:
- Set the stage: "I don't know much about space exploration..."
- Challenge the expert subtly within Cunningham’s Law: "Is colonizing Mars really possible or necessary?"
- This makes the speaker more likely to elaborate and mention something new.

Follow-up questions are crucial for building a personal connection and delivering value.
Value to the speaker doesn't equal information but rather helping them self-reflect and share personal insights.
Example Questions from Brian Grazer's Face to Face:
- What is your unique view on the world?
- What’s most meaningful to you?
- What’s top of mind for you right now?
- What were you thinking when you came up with this?
These questions evoke deeper insights and personal stories from the speaker.

Combining these strategies helps in making meaningful conversations even on topics you don't grasp fully.
Encourages audience engagement and makes you memorable to experts.
Encourage practicing these techniques for better communication and curiosity-driven conversations.