Steve handling difficult questions v2

Handling difficult questions

Workshop

Overview

IntroductionExercise: Naming questions

Discussion: Identify approachesExercise: Exploring responses

Summary

OutroExploreIdentifyNameIntro

Why difficult questions?

• Questioning is one of the most important tools we can use professionally

• And also important personally• But sometimes questions can have the ability

to kill innovation









Types of questionOpen• descriptive

Closed• yes/no• list• identification

Qualitative

Quantitative

leading/loaded


Exercise: Naming difficult questions

1. Get into groups2. Individually brainstorm difficult questions3. Affinity map these as a group4. Report back


Step 1) Groups

• Get into groups of between 6 to 8 people• With folks you don’t know if you can• Will need sticky notes, pens, and wall

space/fipchart paper


Step 2) Brainstorm

• Working individually • Write down (legibly!) as many difficult

questions as you can think of– Just the question – not an answer to the question

or analysis of it– Write it as if someone was asking you the question– One question per sticky note

• You have around 5 minutes for this task


Step 3) Affinity Map

• Working in your groups• Arrange the difficult questions into affinity

clusters– Use the flipcharts provided/walls/tables– Your group can decide the basis for the affinity– Name each affinity group

• Identify an exemplar question from each affinity group

• You have around 10 minutes for the this taskOutroExploreIdentifyNameIntro

Step 4) Report Back

• Report back on – each affinity groups you identified– the example question from each affinity group

• Reflections



I’m too busy


It’s not relevant


You’re a threat


Negative experience




Identifying approaches

Stereotypes….• The Boss (ignore and mandate action anyway)• The Politician (respond to prepared category)• The Salesman (sell the benefits)• The Academic (deconstruct the question)• The Teacher (identify learning)• The Curious Child (naïve)• The Servant (Taking action as directed)• The Counsellor (Comforting “there, there”)What is your personal style? How would you plot these on a continuum?

Discussion: Practitioners Approach

• How would you describe an approach that applies the respect for people principle in dealing with difficult questions?

• Universities require different approaches across different sub-cultures (and individuals!?)

• We have around 10 minutes for this discussion


Exercise: Exploring responses

1. Identify the motives behind a couple of questions identified in the affinity map

2. Prepare a response to one of the questions3. Present back the question and response (if

you would like)


Step 1) Identify motives

• Working in your groups • Choose a small number to discuss– try the most difficult first

• Discuss what would lead an individual to pose that question

• Make a note of this next to the relevant group• You have around 10 minutes for this task


Step 2) Prepare a response

• Working in a sub group of your choosing• Identify one question• Prepare a response to that question• You have around 5 minutes for this task


Step 3) Report back

• Would anyone like to– Present back their response– And observations on drawing that up

• Reflections as a large group


Final task

Make a written note of an experiment in dealing with difficult questions to undertake back at

base


Close

IntroductionExercise: Naming questions

Discussion: Identify approachesExercise: Exploring responses

Summary


[email protected]

Thank you!

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Steve handling difficult questions v2