Ask More: The Power of Questions to Open Doors, Uncover Solutions, and Spark Change by Frank Sesno (forwarded by Wolf Blitzer) describe the power behind good questions.
As a journalist, Sesno shared his years of experience on how questions shaped his interviews and articles. Moreover, his stories were exciting to the casual reader.
Additionally, asking questions is more than trying to find out what’s going on. There are different types of questions that depend on your situation. Sesno dives into the art of questioning in this informative narrative.
First, I’ll give a synopsis of the book followed by some key takeaways.
Photo by Sora Shimazaki
Synopsis
Sesno began with a short story about his early career when he asked pointed questions during a press conference. Normally, journalists deploy hard-hitting questions to get to the truth. However, Sesno expanded on that experience in his book to articulate a point.
The premise of the book is to deploy questions as an asset to get the effects you want. Moreover, questions are your greatest ally if you ask the right ones. However, the wrong question could lead you away from your desired goal.
In the introduction, he then outlines the chapters by the types of questions he asks in specific situations. Each question type has a specific purpose for the working professional.
Sections
Here, Sesno broke down the kinds of questions he asks to achieve his desired effects in his book:
Diagnostic questions. You’re asking about what’s wrong to fix something.
Strategic questions. These help you see the big picture in your life so you can make tough decisions. Also, these questions help you plan for the future.
Empathy questions. You want to understand how another feels. So, ask these questions during emotional moments.
Bridging questions. Sometimes, you’ll interact with people who don’t like you. These questions help bridge a gap to establish a more friendly relationship. Also, you’re finding common ground with these questions.
Confrontational questions. These are your hostile questions. You want answers and aren’t interested in building trust.
Creativity questions. Use these when you’re trying to inspire yourself or others to take risks and to be creative.
Mission questions. These questions are designed to help you find people who share your values and goals.
Scientific questions. Here’s where you implement the scientific method. These questions provoke experimentation and process to get to a result. Additionally, we use these when we need to answer a problem that requires the scientific process to solve.
Interview questions. Just like a job interview, these questions determine compatibility or competence for a task or career.
Entertaining questions. Sesno used the example of a host asking thought-provoking questions to entertain his guests. These are entertaining if asked correctly.
Legacy questions. These questions invoke memories and reflection. Ask these questions to draw out answers from life’s experiences.
The most complicated part of the book was the section on bridging questions. These are the most difficult types of questions to ask, in my opinion, which made the section difficult to understand at first.
Amazon.com
Key Takeaways
Sesno talked about several of his reporting experiences in his book. I felt like I moved with the book like I was his assistant. Moreover, Sesno wrote as if I experienced these things myself in some cases.
The most vivid example he gave was about asking entertaining questions and how hosts will ask questions to entertain guests. Although I have been to several house parties, I have never thought about questions being a form of entertainment. It was enlightening to me.
Also, Sesno brought out the implications of each set of questions. For example, he talked about how competitive questions don’t always build relationships, but you need answers for the record.
All actions have consequences, and Sesno articulated that very well. Sometimes, he needed to get a hard truth out of someone, but the person is usually reluctant. Regardless, Sesno was willing to ask the hard questions.
Frequently, we don’t picture journalists as very empathetic, but that was my favorite chapter in the book. Sesno brought out the emotion in that chapter, and I was impressed.
His emphasis on listening caught my attention. He talked about long-time relationships with people where he used empathetic questions. Sesno articulated his point by describing a daughter asking her father empathetic questions about a sensitive topic.
I have a soft spot for people who listen more than they talk. It makes for more engaging conversations, and Sesno emphasizes that listening is more important than talking with empathy questions. Further, he emphasizes boldness in speaking when needed.
Buy Ask More
Photo by Christina Morillo
Conclusion
Ask More was a good guide for researching how to ask thoughtful questions. It gears toward serious professionals who want to improve their listening skills and gather quality information.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn how to ask good questions. It’s a quick read (or listen), and you can refer back to it easily when needed. This one is one for the home library. You can buy the book here.
Have you read this book? Let me know what you think in the comment section down below. Thank you for reading!
Photo Credit
2: Amazon.com
This is quite an interesting website, with an unusual name, reading the about me page, it doesn’t actually say how it came about. How did you choose the name
You have a fairly comprehensive list of PD books. Are these your own and based on your own experiences
PD is obviously very important to us all, it makes us more rounded and better individuals.
I was fairly lucky, in having two great mentors. One was my late mum, the otrher was being Policeofficer for 13 years.
Your book reviews are comprehensive as well, so well done on them, made enjoyable reading
Dave,
Leadership has become more important to me since going into the military. I started reading leadership books to round out my educational background. Thank you for the tip! Also, I’m glad that you had good mentors in your life. Do you have book recommendations as well? Thanks for your comment
Robert
Hi Robert, What a great way of describing the types of questions. I had never really thought about it, but that describes exactly the different questions that one needs to be asking, if you want specific answers. I have a friend who is a life coach and she always seems to be asking the right questions to get answers. If I think about it, many of them would be empathy questions.
It certainly sounds like a “must read” and a book that one can refer back to again and again.
LineCowley,
Absolutely! I’m glad you got some good insight from the review. What types of questions do you use most often? Come back and visit again!
Robert
Hello there, This is an amazing article that you have got here. Frank sesno is indeed a prolific writer and I believe his book “Ask more” will help to change the perception of readers and better offer great approach technique. From the synopsis you shared, the book will increasingly change the tide in leadership and alter the views of others. His approach is quite excellent.
Stevie,
I appreciate your kind words about the review! Asking good questions is a great way to connect with your audience, and Frank Sesno does a great job at that. Come back and visit again!
Robert
Hey nice review you have there, the introduction of the book is quite impressive. I commend your efforts in writing such an awesome book despite the diverse challenges that is involved in writing a book. I would love to have a copy of it to explore the whole contents. However, I would love to know about the price and available platforms to have a purchase
Edahnewton,
I found it on Amazon for $15.71. Here’s the short link to the book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3e0Voo9 Sesno opened up a whole new world for me in this book. I think it’s a great read. I hope you come back and visit the site again!
Robert