What creates the best conversations? Questions.
Ask better questions, get better answers. Said better, ask better questions and people feel the urge to share; and sometimes overshare.
They’ll share secrets they’ve never shared. They’ll tell you stories they thought they forgot. Crazy, right?
I find people fascinating.
They are a book being written in real-time. How did they get here? What inspired them to pursue their passion? Or what kept them from pursuing them?
Asking better questions requires curiosity about the other person. That curiosity makes them feel important.
I was once taught that if you ask a question, the mind MUST answer it, even if it’s in their own mind. This is why so many ads begin with a question.
So, of course, I had to implement this in my family. I think I’m a great question asker. But, it can be challenging to be creative all the time.
A few years back, I found a fantastic book titled “3000 Questions About Me”. The book allows me to cheat and inspired an idea for a family game.
Some nights, instead of watching Netflix, we sit in a circle in the living room and play the Question Game after dinner.
What is the Question Game?
Each person takes a turn, flips through the book, and picks a random question. They answer it first then everyone has to answer that same question.
They have to tell us “WHY” or “HOW” as well.
There have been several instances where one question led into conversations that lasted over an hour. I learned things about my kids that I never knew.
Surprisingly, they often request to play, which makes me happy. Logically, I had to buy two other books in the series.
9000 Questions!
I can’t get away with asking lame questions, ever.
