Am I...

Self-aware

There are some things you can ask yourself about your question which can help refine and improve your question. In most cases questions from the awareness about a problem. Try to identify the problem clearly: this already leads to more refined questions. Then you can ask yourself;

• Am I emotionally affected by this issue?
• Do I already know what I want the answer to be?
• Is what I've written coherent?
• Is it helpful for me, my team or the world to ask this question?
  

Sometimes this train of thought leads to a reformulation of the problem or leads you to an answer or empowers you to direct action.

Informed

Some questions can be answered with a relatively small amount of personal research compared to the effort of gathering a group to find a solution. Even though research will not always enable you to find the solution, doing so will enable you to form better questions and better proposals.

Is it...

Clear

Writing in a way that is understandable reduces confusion and helps people to form proposals - this does not mean questions have to be specific: questions can be broad or specific, the important part is to communicate your intentions. Removing any ambiguity is an essential part writing clearly, thus acronyms should be expanded and specifics should be made explicit. Clear questions are concise, that is they are just the right length: not too short or long.

Open

Questions should not force people into yes/no mind-sets: If you have been thinking about an issue and arrived at a proposal, there is a tendency to phrase your proposal as a question. Stepping back to the question allows the rest of the team to work together on proposals. Removing personal bias is also important, though personal bias may not be seen if you don't look for it - this is where focusing on self-awareness is important...

Example Questions