Questions accelerate the transfer into practice
Questions are a fundamental tool for training and moderation. In their book "The Question Collection", Axel Rachow and Amelie Funcke present the most effective questions and combinations for typical practical situations.
You can use questions to pick people up, break the ice, establish a good rapport, get into the topic elegantly, steer group dynamics, encourage attention, ask for assessments, give responsibility back to the group, clarify unspoken issues, initiate a change of perspective, guide learning processes and much, much more.
In their book "The Question Collection", the two communication professionals Axel Rachow and Amelie Funcke explain the most effective questions and combinations for typical practical situations: Where does your favorite question belong? What is its special charm? Where is its limit? How do you deal with the answers to the question?
An example from the book "The Question Collection"
- "What differences and similarities do you see between this exercise and the practice?"
Where does the question belong?
- If an exercise, cooperation game or simulation has just taken place and you want to evaluate it
- At the end of a moderation or seminar for which a completely different setting was chosen than is usual in the organization
This is what the question wants
- Find differences and similarities, trigger ideas, encourage creativity
- Lead to the gain of knowledge
- Initiate the practical transfer between the action and "real life" in the organization
- Give a (fun) exercise a serious look afterwards
The charm of this question
- It implies eye level and appreciation. It is not the trainer who shares his observations with the group and gives feedback, but the group itself comes up with its own interpretations.
- By asking about the differences, these are also acknowledged at the same time. This picks up the skeptics, it integrates them. As soon as the differences are on the table, these
- people find it easier to open up to the similarities.
- The question is open and stimulating and allows a wide variety of approaches, ways of thinking and preferences when working on it: the creative thinkers, the philosophically inclined, the analysts, the precise observers - they all get on.
It is clear and unambiguous and therefore ideal for parallel small group work.
Tips for dealing with the answers
Whether in small groups or in plenary sessions, the differences and similarities should always be collected and visualized to ensure that the findings can be transferred into practice or referred to in the further course of the training.
Source: Learned from Werner Simmerl, Lichtenfels.
