Moderation method: How to ask the right questions.

Provoke really good answers.

You know the saying: "There are no stupid answers - there are only stupid questions". It also hits the nail on the head with the moderation method: the main task of the moderator is to ask (written) questions that are formulated in such a way that they provoke as many usable answers as possible.

Formulating questions is one of the most important tasks of moderators. This is not always easy: "Don't ask questions" is the motto. Questions must open up the scope for creativity and not restrict it. Like all other moderation techniques, the questioning technique should also enable independent contributions from all participants.
Questions should therefore be formulated in such a way that they open up as much room for maneuver as possible for the participants (and not just pretend to!). Formulations that force the participants into a predetermined position or fix the course of the discussion in terms of content should be avoided.

Questions must not "ask past"

Participants will not use even the widest scope for action if they do not feel motivated to do so. Questions should therefore always be geared towards the needs of the participants and should never seem unworldly or "miss the point".
Open questions are generally better suited to the moderation method than closed questions. In addition, all questions must be able to be visualized and answered in a simple and concise manner using keywords or previously agreed symbols.

Open questions

• must be answered by a complete sentence (which can of course also be given in keywords)
• stimulate thinking
• allow many different answers
• promote cooperation within the group
• have a further-reaching effect

Closed questions

• are answered with yes/no
• lead to a more or less mechanical reaction
• allow a maximum of two possible answers
• divide the group into two camps
• have a conclusive effect

Reverse questions

By reversing the original question, you tap into a new source of ideas. Do not allow any criticism in this phase so that no one is inhibited from expressing unusual ideas. Only evaluate the ideas once the source has dried up.

Analogy questions
Use analogy questions to look for ideas that have been used successfully in other areas, at other times or by other people to solve similar tasks.

Polarizing questions
Polarizing questions provoke extreme, crazy or lying statements. Examples (discussion objective: plan for increasing turnover).

There is often a realistic and usable core to such statements. Peel out this core - you will come across valuable, unexpected clues.

Control questions
Multi-stage control questions are necessary for a thorough and comprehensive assessment and evaluation of proposed solutions that have already been collected.
Ask the following questions in the first stage

• ask about the opportunities, advantages and strengths of a proposed solution.

In a second stage, ask

• ask about the risks, disadvantages, weaknesses and shortcomings of a proposed solution.

In a third stage, ask

• ask about the resistance that must be expected when realizing a certain idea.

Gap analysis
Once the ideas have been viewed, sorted and systematized ("clustering" and "generic terms" given), ask another question. For example:

• What is still missing?
• What has not yet been said?
• That just crossed my mind:

The participants usually come up with many new or additional ideas. For this reason, the gap analysis is usually very fruitful.