"Question Thinking is a system of tools for transforming thinking, action, and results through skillful question asking – questions we ask ourselves and well as those we ask others."
- Change Your Questions, Change Your Life, page 26
"Change your questions, change your results."- Change Your Questions, Change Your Life, page 61
The questions or moments from this book that will resonate with you the most I believe will vary significantly by the reader. The question “how else can I be thinking about this” stuck with me every time I came across it. Likely due to the fact that I have some decisions ahead of me to make both professionally and personally, I feel like asking this question is moving me towards a space of discovering what I need for the next course of action instead of trying to nail down the right answer or solution. This is what the author suggests as a switching question. When you are down a path of strong and narrowed assumptions, you can ask yourself some key questions to unstick you from that mindset. There can even be physical benefits brought on by changing our questions — tension being one of the most common. Think of current problem you have — now ask yourself, “How else can I be thinking about this?” The Insights I’ve outlined below provide some additional focus on how to actionize this in your day to day.
"Things happen to us all the time. You don’t have much choice about that. But where we do have choice is in what we do with what happens."- Change Your Questions, Change Your Life, page 41
In order to get to a place where we can start asking the right questions to ourselves and to others we need to understand that there is always a choice to make. At the start of this summary I touched on being judgemental and that it is in our human nature. We can’t avoid it, but we can accept it, acknowledge it and make a choice about it. The author outlines two paths, or mindsets: Learner and Judger. You can likely guess from just the names the path or mindset that allows us to be at our best. Everyone has both so don’t be worried trying to think if you are one or the other. Accept it, and then make a choice. Every time you venture down a path you are choosing. We are often so unaware of the constant choice we are making to either seek with curiosity and discovery or make our way down to the judger pit. There you will find blame and resentment as your companions. To understand or catch yourself on these paths or crossroads takes practice in self-awareness. The book provides some key questions to help get you there called ABCC:
Aware – Am I a Judger?
Breathe – Do I need to take a step back, pause, and look at this situation more objectively?
Curiosity – Do I have all the facts? What’s happening here?
Choose – What’s my choice?
Next time you catch yourself in a problem or tense situation, stop and ask yourself the above questions.
"Ask them of yourself – What do I want? Ask them of other people - What do you want? Or ask them of those with whom you have an ongoing relationship – What do we want?"- Change Your Questions, Change Your Life, page 184
Start asking yourself some questions. If you’re feeling good and comfortable with that I encourage to starting asking questions to those around you. Go back to the problem or situation from above, choose your path, and start asking away!
Here are the top 12 questions:
This book will get you ready to do some real work on your current relationships through the power of Question Thinking. It is a simple and powerful way to get in a space that allows not only you, but others around you to be at their best. If you want go all in, as the title suggests, to transform your life is commendable. If you want to start off a bit smaller, I suggest using the above in your next tough situation or coming up with questions rather than answers that you can use with your staff or team at your next meeting.
Marilee Adams, Ph.D., is an author, executive coach, facilitator, and professional speaker. She is president and founder of the Inquiry Institute, a consulting, coaching, and educational organization and the originator of the QUESTION THINKING™ methodologies.
