Asking Better Questions
By: Danelle Marable
I recently participated in the Emergent Learning Community’s 2024 cohort. It was one of the best-facilitated training programs I’ve experienced, and the power of purposeful questions resonated with me.
Questions are Key
Curiosity is central to evaluation and digging deeper to understand what is happening in an agency or at a program, how we can make it better, and ultimately, how we can show impact. Asking the right questions can open a dialogue and invite exploration of data, people, and places. Asking the wrong question can shut people down and put them on the defensive.
What Would it Take?
This question is not just a theoretical concept, but a practical tool. It's a fantastic way to kick off an evaluation or or strategy design project, especially when there’s no clear answer.
What would it take to gather the data you need?
What would it take to get the team on board to gather that data?
What would it take to ensure participants have a say in the data collected about them?
These are just a few examples of how this question can be immediately applied in everyday evaluation situations.
Putting it into Practice
Meeting dynamics have shifted since I started asking this question. The question inspires people to think outside the box, identify possibilities and challenges in ideas, and find the best solution. I’ve used it in conjunction with other tools to improve and streamline processes.
“What would it take…?” helps ground people when conversations gets too theoretical. It makes them think in practical terms to design tactical steps toward what needs to happen to move forward. I’ve added it to my work with a small arts-based organization, and the ideas generated are thought-provoking. “What would it take for [organization A] to make that kind of impact?”
So, I encourage you to try it out for yourself. The next time you are in a meeting generating ideas - ask, “What would it take to accomplish that?” See if it improves the quality of your discussion and the information gathered.
I believe it will, and I look forward to hearing about your experiences with this powerful questioning technique.