Questions and Lack of Knowledge

I have been examining Marquardt's (2005) stated reasons that people do not ask questions. Today, we will take a look at his final reason, a lack of the skills to ask them. You may have experienced the situation in which you are not sure how to even ask a question about a topic. The topic may seem too large to know where to begin. This is often the case when students begin a new area of study, the terminology may be too foreign to phrase the question appropriately. In this situation, it is often helpful to write down initial questions and attempt to find the answers on your own, paying particular attention to the language used. Then ask questions of your faculty mentor. If you find that, the answers do not make things any clearer, ask for resources so you can learn more. Take control of your learning, fill in the gaps of your knowledge so you know the right questions to ask and how to find the answers. 

Next time, I will consider being foolish. Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu 

Marquardt, M. (2005). Leading with Questions: How Leaders Find the Right Solutions by Knowing What to Ask. Jossey-Bass.