Sometimes we think we understand what people need to be effective. So we design solutions or offer advice: "Hey, maybe try this!" But as adults, we often miss the simpler opportunity: to ask a question.

 

Fun fact: Kids ask around 76 questions per hour (NIH, 2024), while research suggests adults ask only 6 to 20 questions per day. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, we stop wondering and start telling.

 

Questions illuminate for both the asker and receiver.

 

For the asker, questions position you to be curious and challenge your assumptions. For the receiver, a question is a gift. It creates space to think more clearly.

 

Notice when you feel the urge to tell someone what they need, or when you're designing a learning experience you believe will help others. Pause. What question could you ask instead? What might that illuminate for both of you?

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