How To Ask Questions Effectively
When we have a question, our first instinct is to go ask it right away to a friend, senior, or mentor. We don’t spend time to think by ourselves. But in this age of technology, we can find everything online. I am completely in support for asking questions, being curious and inquisitive. I have asked a lot of silly questions (and I still do). However, I also realize that most people who come and ask me questions could find better answers through their own research than from me.
Hence, I would suggest the following: When you have a question to ask,
1. Ask yourself if that’s what you want to really know the answer to
More often than not, you need answer to a more important and specific question. Eg: Let’s say you want to know whether the Trump scenario in the US is affecting jobs for students. Is that really what you wanted to know? Or did you want the answer to the question, ‘Is the ruling on H1 visa by Trump in any way affecting the job scenario for students graduating from so and so major and by affecting I mean, is there a drop in the % of students who got job before vs after?’. Do you see the difference?
2. Go online and research once before asking
If you are reading this right now, it means you are among the 51% of the world population privileged enough to have access to internet, and all the resources present in it. Beyond the generic Google, Yahoo! and Bing searches, based on the way you formulate the question, there is even more out there!
I’ve seen many instances when people ask questions which are already out there, a simple search away. Eg: What is the application fee for GRE exa,? What kind of jobs do you get after graduating from so and so University? Does so and so University accept TOEFL scores? When I’m asked such questions, I don’t have the ability to answer them without going online and searching myself. Objective questions like these do not require personal opinions and hence one can easily find their answers online. So, I strongly request that you do your best to find answers before going ahead to ask someone else.
3. Don’t ask questions which are broad and generic
The only question which Google or Yahoo or no search engine can answer are those which are not asked in a well-defined manner. Eg: Who is the best cricketer/footballer? This is an impossible question to answer without more context. What are the metrics? How do you define best?
Do you see the pattern here? Without defining the not-so-obvious terms used in these questions, it is impossible for someone to give you the answer you are hoping for. A better alternative would be: Who is the cricketer with the most runs scored in a T20? Is University A in US better than University B in Canada for Major C in terms of job opportunities and range of courses available? and so on.
Why is this important?
When you enter the Corporate World, or talk to someone from there, you would see that things move fast. People are shouldered with a lot of projects, responsibilities and tasks, both inside and outside the office. We need to be respectful of their time — and this applies to just about everyone. There will be a threshold after which people will start noticing if you keep asking too many (ineffective) questions. While I am more than happy to help someone by answering their questions, I also don’t want to be a reason that they feel spoon-fed later on in their life. I’m sure many feel the same.
Before sending a text message or having a call with someone to gain information, think twice or even thrice about whether 1. the question you’re asking is indeed what you want the answer to, 2. have you already searched online to find more details and 3. is this question relevant to the person I’m about to ask to and is this specific enough to their expertise that they can give an answer which is unsubstantiated from pure research?
If yes, then go ahead!
