Posts Tagged Ask Questions

The Secret to Good Communication

On January 7, 2021 / Relationships

How you communicate with someone has a direct impact on how stressful the relationship is. But it’s not just about the words you use or the tone of your voice. Most people know that using kind words and not yelling is important for good communication. However, what many people fail to take into account is how the other person is perceiving your message, even if you deliver it with a smile.

For example, how many times do you politely tell others what to do? Maybe you tell your child to clean their room, tell your spouse to take out the trash, or tell your employees how to write a proposal. These are all normal, everyday things. But let’s flip it … >>>

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Ask Questions to Solve Problems

On November 5, 2020 / Effectiveness, Stress Management

One of the easiest ways to solve problems is to ask questions. Unfortunately, many people get so mired in the problem that they end up blaming others or trying to control the situation instead. This typically leads to more stress.

Think about your own life for a moment. How often do you blame others for your own negative experiences or challenges? How often do you try to use authority or force to solve problems? We all do it from time to time. While in some cases these tactics may appear to work (at least temporarily), more often than not you have the ability to positively influence the situation by simply asking questions.

Notice I said “influence” the situation, not “change” … >>>

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The Secret to Stress-Free Relationships

On February 1, 2018 / Relationships

Image of a question mark made up of question words like "who,'" "what'" "when," "how," and "why."

A number of experts in sales emphasize the importance of building relationships for achieving success. Such an approach also makes interactions with others less stressful.

Here is a classic from Ed Oakley’s “Enlightened Leadership.”

There is a famous story about a life insurance company. The salespeople went through the training program and were very successful for about 18 months. After 18 months, their sales dropped off.

The company made quite an intensive investigation as to the reason. They found that the people followed the training approach of the company, which was to ask questions. Using this approach, the salespeople not only got to know financial problems and concerns, but also something about the people themselves. The questioning approach led to … >>>

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Overwhelmed and Stressed? Try This

On January 10, 2017 / Stress Management

Have you ever felt overwhelmed and stressed but didn’t know exactly why? Of course you have. We all have at one time or another. Unfortunately, when these situations occur, most people attempt to treat the symptoms of their feelings rather than address the situation itself. It’s important, though, to uncover what’s causing you to feel overwhelmed and stressed, rather than just treating the symptoms.

Here is a short story to illustrate my point: A teacher walked into her classroom after a rainy weekend and discovered a puddle of water in the middle of the floor. She called the custodian and told him what was wrong. He came and mopped up the puddle. The next morning, the scenario was repeated.

When … >>>

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One Question a Day

On March 22, 2016 / Effectiveness

Rather than the traditional daily school announcements, here is how a very successful school uses its announcements to prompt students to think about character development. Four days a week the morning announcements END WITH A QUESTION designed to prompt reflection and responsibility.

Posing a daily question directs the attention of everyone in the school (both students and teachers) to a specific issue or topic. Throughout the year, the school reinforces school-wide procedures, solves small problems, and encourage internal motivation through the announcements.

This practice of posing questions at the end of the morning announcement has been going on for many years, and the school sees a lot of good coming from them. Although the specific questions are tailored to the … >>>

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3 Ways to Promote Responsibility

On January 6, 2014 / Responsibility

In many areas of the country, school is going back into session this week after the customary winter break. If you’ve resolved to focus on promoting responsibility with your students this year, here are three simple steps to kick start the process. After you see some results from these suggestions, come back to this blog for more ways to promote responsibility in youth, which naturally decreases discipline issues.

1. Teach students to ask themselves questions: Encourage students to ask themselves questions. The questioning process starts the thinking process. When students begin to ask themselves “Why?” and “How?” questions, both alertness and interest increase. There are only three things we are more likely to answer than a question—the telephone, the doorbell, … >>>

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