When delving into someone's perspective on a situation, it's beneficial to be aware of three distinct types of questions. These questions direct attention towards various aspects, revealing beliefs about different subjects from your conversation partner. Generally, questions can clarify or solve a problem, expand someone's perspective, or encourage self-reflection.

1. Problem-Solving Questions

The first type of questions is prevalent in professional settings, where the goal is to contribute substantively. Example questions include:

• "What's your strategy for addressing X?"
• "Can you describe what occurred when you attempted Y?"
• "Have you considered trying this approach?"

Successful dialogue here can collaboratively address the issue at hand, but similar future problems may require another discussion.

2. Framework-Expanding Questions

The second type of questions encourages a broader view of the problem, exploring together underlying beliefs that may hinder resolution. Such questions might be:

• "How would colleague X handle this?"
• "What if you took no action right now?"
• "Are there principles you're applying that might be unnecessary?"
• "What if, instead of X, you tried a different approach?"
• "What’s the worst-case scenario?"
• "Could there be other interpretations?"

A constructive conversation with these questions can broaden the reality perceived by your dialogue partner, equipping them with a more autonomous problem-solving capability for future issues. As these are essentially coaching questions, gauging the openness of your conversation partner is crucial.

3. Person-Developing Questions

The third type of questions advances further by focusing on the individual. These questions reflect on what the problem reveals about the person, rather than the problem itself. This approach shifts the discussion from the external issue to the internal world and personal growth of the individual facing the problem.

Examples:

• "Do you encounter similar issues in other contexts?"
• "Why do you think this situation affects you more than it does others?"
• "What insights into your personality does this challenge provide?"
• "Is there a recurring behavior or tendency of yours that contributes to this issue?"

Engaging in a discussion that includes these types of questions can offer profound self-awareness for the other person. It shifts the nature of the conversation to a more introspective one, prompting them to view their problem from a new angle. However, these questions might seem direct or challenging, so it's wise to check if the other person is ready for such a deep dive.