The power of ‘why?’: Asking open-ended questions to stimulate critical thinking

‘Why?’ How many of us remember asking that question over and over as toddlers trying to make sense of the world? How many parents of young children marvel at their offsprings’ ability to ask ‘why’ about so many different aspects of the world (while secretly hoping they will take a short break from time to time to allow us to just drink one cup of coffee in peace…)?

‘Why’ is a very important question in project management. People tend to be drawn to leaders who share their own values and beliefs – and can talk about them clearly, passionately and unapologetically. We don’t care what others do as much as we care about why they are doing it – and what their motivations are[1].

In 2009, the American author and inspirational speaker Simon Sinek published a book on business leadership called Start with Why.[2] In it, he looks at how successful individuals and companies all have one thing in common. That is, the ability to define ‘why’ they do what they do and then communicate those reasons in their conversations with stakeholders.

Sinek’s Golden Circle

Source: https://simonsinek.com/golden-circle/

Sinek talks about the ‘Golden Circle of ‘why’, ‘how’ and ‘what’[3]. It can be used to start any conversation with ‘why’ to help people understand more about ‘what’ you are trying to achieve and ‘how’ you are planning to do it. The Golden Circle places ‘why’ right at the centre, with two outer rings for ‘how’ and then ‘what’. This approach provides balance, infuses the message with authenticity and inspires people to get behind what you are trying to say

The importance of critical thinking

Asking questions opens up endless opportunities to find out new things, examine problems from different angles and get to know what makes other people do what they do. Questioning can set off ideas for new products, services, experiences and ideas[4]. It can strengthen our biases so we don’t just take the statements, opinions and viewpoints of others as fact. It provides us with deeper insights and levels of understanding. All vital components of successful project management.

Questioning is also the secret behind how to develop critical thinking. This is the ability to think clearly and rationally and understand the logic and connections between ideas. Questioning engages you in independent, reflective thinking to help you end up with a balanced and more objective response to the issue at hand. Again, critical thinking is essential for effective project management[5]. Developing skills in critical thinking can help you recognise false rumours and fake news and think more carefully about people’s motivations for telling you something. It can help you determine whether a piece of information really does represent the whole picture, or if you need to dig deeper to find out more before making a decision.

The art of open questioning

Using open questions is a powerful way to develop critical thinking skills and grow as a project manager. They can be used in one-to-one sessions with team members, or in group meetings with the whole project group. Open questions allow people to respond with fuller answers than simply ‘yes’ or ‘no’. They enable us to express ourselves in our own words and develop ideas as conversations continue[6]. Often, open questions can lead to people sharing much more information with us than we were anticipating. This builds relationships and increases transparency and collaboration within project teams.

Closed questions, i.e. those that either result in ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers, or replies chosen from a narrow set of options are good for establishing, clarifying or discovering specific pieces of information. They tend not to lead to wider conversation, however, until open questions are brought into the mix. Closed questions are usually more suitable for the ‘how’ and ‘what’ layers of Sinek’s Golden Circle. They can satisfy curious toddlers asking what someone is doing, or how much something the spot in a shop costs. While closed questions fulfil their limited purpose, they are not as powerful as open questions for developing a greater understanding of the world around us.

Powerful questions for one-to-one sessions and group meetings

Good project managers hold regular catch-ups and update meetings with their team members, either one at a time or with the whole group. When you are preparing for your next catch-up session, think about how you can harness the power of ‘why’. Plan a mixture of open and closed questions that you can ask not only to capture the specific information you need, but get people to open up and provide deeper insights too.

Key points in a project’s timespan to ask questions include the very beginning when the team is coming together for the first time. It is also vital to check in regularly throughout the process to ensure everyone is up to speed. Then, at the end of the project, use open and closed questions to evaluate performance, troubleshoot any lingering issues and plan how to do even better next time.

Some examples of powerful questions to ask at each of these three stages include:

Beginning:

  • Why have the specific project goals been chosen?
  • Why is now the right time to launch this particular project?
  • Why are the project’s stakeholders invested in its success?
  • How are you / the team preparing physically and mentally for the start of the project?[7]

Middle:

  • What are your top priorities right now – and why?
  • How do you feel about the progress of the project at this stage – and why?
  • What kind of challenges are you facing right now and why do you think they have arisen?
  • What do you think we can improve – or do more of – going forward?

End:

  • Why do you think the project was successful?
  • Where did we hit and miss our objectives along the way and why was that?
  • How should we change to make things better next time?
  • How do you feel about your performance during the project and why do you think you acted as you did?

The final word

Albert Einstein was famous for his understanding of how critical thinking can further our knowledge of science. He understood that asking questions and spending plenty of time looking for the answers is vital for solving problems[8].

[1] Source: https://www.speeko/blog/summary-ted-talk-simon-sinek-why. Accessed 8 June 2024

[2] Source: https://simonsinek.com/books/start-with-why/. Accessed 8 June 2024

[3] Source https://bobbypowers.net/review-start-with-why/. Accessed 8 June 2024

[4] Source www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2023/02/23/unleash-the-power-of-questioning. Accessed 8 June 2024

[5] Source www.skillsyouneed.com/learn/critical-thinking.html. Accessed 8 June 2024

[6] Source https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/open-ended-question-vs-closed. Accessed 8 June 2024

[7] Source https://hbr.org/tip/2015/10/the-4-questions-to-ask-when-you-debrief-on-a-project. Accessed 8 June 2024

[8] Source https://amorebeautifulquestion.com/einstein-questioning/. Accessed 8 June 2024