“. . . I understand that King Henry wanted to split with the Catholic Church so that he could get a divorce. . . . " “. . . I understand that the job includes benefits. . . " “. . . I understand that intake is up across the board. . . "
“. . . but I don’t understand how that led to the creation of the Church of England. " “. . . but I’m unclear on whether or not you include dental in that. " “. . . but I think I missed why we’re responding this way. "
“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you said something completely different and thought it seemed a bit off. I didn’t want to be rude and presume you were wrong. It’s my fault, I apologize. " And so on. . . .
“I’m sorry, I think I misheard you. . . " “I’m a bit unclear with that explanation. . . " “I think I might have missed something while I was taking notes here. . . "
For example, don’t tell your doctor all about your day leading up to your health problem. They don’t need to know that you got on the bus late that morning. What they do need to know is that you ate a different breakfast than normal and now your stomach hurts.
Open ended questions usually start with phrases like “why” and “tell me more about”. Closed ended questions usually start with phrases like “when” and “who”.
Don’t ask: “Isn’t it true that more people would be well-fed if we ate grains directly rather than feeding it to animals and eating their meat?” Ask: “Many vegetarians argue that there would be more food available if society didn’t invest in meat production. The argument seems to make sense, but do you know of any arguments on the flip side?”
“Can you please describe a typical week in this position?” “What opportunities will I have for growth and advancement?” “How does this company manage its employees?”
“What types of work would you not want to do in this position?” This question reveals weaknesses that you can expect. “How do you think this job will have to change in the next 5 years? 10?” This question reveals how they respond to change and whether they can plan ahead. “When is it okay to break the rules?” This question is great at evaluating their ethics and whether or not they can adapt to complex situations or remain rigid.
Always research first. Do basic research to try to answer your own question. [11] X Research source Keep calm. Getting angry of flustered and having that show in writing will generally make people either ignore or make fun of you. Use the best spelling and grammar possible. This will show that you’re serious and expect a serious answer. If you aren’t sure about your spelling or grammar, try typing it into Word or Google Docs to get a quick spelling and grammar check.
Ask questions that move things forward and solve problems. Ask questions about whether or not the meeting is on task. Figure out how the discussion topic relates to problems that the company is facing. Get to the point. Don’t ramble. This will make people tune out and be dismissive. Look to the future. Ask questions about how the company needs to adapt in the future and what major hurdles will need to be overcome in order to succeed. [12] X Research source
