Campus to Corporate, Part 5: Ask the right questions to develop critical thinking

In my last column, we spoke about how we can embrace a critical thinking mindset. We concluded that a critical thinking mindset will help you look beyond the usual and evaluate possibilities, and it’s a trait that prepares you to think critically and question even when somethings seem obvious.

Today, as a tool to develop a critical thinking mindset, we will look at how we can develop the habit of asking the right questions.

Many a time, success in the corporate world does not depend on knowing the right answer but on how we ask the right questions to explore the right answer. In life, we have often been appreciated when we knew the right answer.

Here are a few tips that may help you to reset your thinking. Evaluate your situation and pick whatever you find useful in your context.

• Ask for clarity: Be open and keep seeking clarifications. This simple technique will help you understand others better and also clear your own doubts. You’ll understand the intent behind other people’s thoughts. It is like peeling an onion and discovering the next layer of their thoughts. For example, when something is not clear to you and you desire to know more, a simple question, like ‘Can you tell me more about it?’ or ‘What exactly do you mean by this?’, helps the other person or the group to clarify.
• Keep your questions open-ended: This is a great method used by many leaders and coaches. Closed-ended questions will result in a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer, which does not help you know more than what is spoken. If you keep your questions open-ended, the speaker on the other side gets an opportunity to tell you more about their thought. Questions that start with why, what and how are good examples that form open-ended questions. But this means you need to tune and adapt your mind and practice well to be able to follow this powerful yet simple tool.
• Listen carefully before you ask: Listening to understand and not to respond is a great way to absorb other people’s thoughts. One needs to master the art of listening without judging. It helps one understand what is really spoken of and what’s behind those words without being prejudiced by preconceived notions. You cannot ask the right question unless you hear others fully. Listening is probably one of the most difficult tasks in life, and data says most great leaders are great listeners.
• Leave biases away: We cannot deny that bias plays a big role in the way we react or make decisions. By asking the right question, we can get past the biases we may hold against an idea or perceptions about a situation or a person. Leaving biases away will help us explore further. It will help us know what the other person is really trying to communicate and whether there are hidden agendas. And not to forget, this simple technique helps foster teamwork and a collaborative approach. Thus, instead of holding on to biases, why not clarify through asking the right questions?
• Stay curious: Curiosity to know more than what is apparent helps a child to ask all those questions that an adult might not dare ask. Curiosity opens up new possibilities and is mostly appreciated as it helps one go deeper, looking at various options beyond the obvious. Let the child in you travel with you during your corporate journey.
• Dare: It’s about going back to the basics and asking something quite fundamental. You may sound naive but sometimes if you are convinced about questioning even some of the basic assumptions, take that step and ask yourself ‘Should I?’ And if the answer in your mind is ‘yes’, why not go ahead? I know a leader who recently asked his global CEO in a strategy town hall open session, ‘I know it worked for the last many years and we have been extremely successful, but I wonder, do we need to think differently in this post-Covid digital world?’ Interestingly, that question led to a change in strategy.

To sum up, it is not just about knowing the right answer, it is also about nurturing a curious mind to explore new possibilities through logical and powerful questioning.

As Albert Einstein said: “The important thing is not to stop questioning.”

In the next article, I will share tips on how to build a personal brand.

Partha Sarathi Basu has worked in leadership positions at Coca-Cola, Whirlpool, IFB group, Tata group, Spicejet and AkzoNobel. He is currently associated with a leading consulting firm apart from being a leadership coach. He is the author of five books based on his corporate and life experiences. A die-hard Calcuttan, he now lives in Amsterdam.