Home
>
Team Building
>
Leading the Witness: How Asking Questions as a Trainer Can Limit Learning and Reduce Trust

Leading the Witness: How Asking Questions as a Trainer Can Limit Learning and Reduce Trust

"Asking questions can be a means of establishing authority, fulfilling leadership functions, and ensuring effective learning. In fact, asking questions is probably the most subtle power you have for controlling people. The person who asks questions always controls the conversation... if we could discipline our minds to ask questions instead, we could lead any conversation to wherever we wanted it because the other person would still be wrapped up in thinking what he or she wanted to say next...One of the rights you have as a trainer is to ask questions and expect answers. This is why question-asking is such a powerful tool. It challenges and avoids confrontation at the same time."

Mitchell, Garry, The Trainer's Handbook: The AMA Guide to Effective Training, Amacom, 1998, p 63.

If you deliver training, odds are you reduce participants' learning and enthusiasm through manipulative questions - like the ones Garry is advocating for -and that you're unaware that you're doing this. I label Garry's approach to questions as manipulative because they require that the trainer ask questions for the purposes of guiding a conversation in a particular direction without disclosing that direction in advance and giving participants a choice about whether they want to go there.

My colleague Sue McKinney and I explored this subject in detail in "The Facilitative Trainer" chapter of The Skilled Facilitator Fieldbook. Today I hope I can help you identify how, if at all, this is happening for you, and offer a way of using questions that avoids the negative consequences above.

When I began my work as a trainer, I often resorted to subtly manipulative questions to achieve my goals in a training session. For example, I'd ask questions I already felt I knew the answer to in hopes that participants would get the "right" "Ahas". Trouble was, this was significantly limiting learning for everyone in ways I couldn't see.

Chris Argyris' research and our client work lead me to believe that this kind of questioning gets people defensive; they don't know why you're asking the questions, they guess, and their guesses often contain negative judgments about you or the training design. All this reduces your credibility and their learning.

I used the following four methods to dramatically reduce this kind of manipulation and increase my effectiveness as a trainer; I continue to use them with colleagues to improve our training work.

~ Identify whether and how you use questions manipulatively. Record and revisit your own training work and/or ask to be observed as you train. Assess where you were being transparent about your reasoning for asking your questions - and where you weren't.

~ Alone and with others, explore what beliefs led you to do this. For example, do your questions indicate you believe that the learners won't "get it" without your "guidance"? Do your questions indicate that there's only one "it" to get, and you know it in advance? These assumptions and beliefs won't be "nice" or "pretty", but until you discover them, you'll continue to act as if they were true, and get consequences you and your participants don't want.

~ Be transparent about the change you're trying to make. If you decide you want to change your approach, let clients, participants and colleagues know, and ask for their feedback- especially during the training.

This last step has turned out to be simply essential for us. When I've tried to avoid doing this, change has either taken much longer or didn't happen at all.

What are your reactions to my thoughts here? I invite you to email me with your thoughts.

? 2005 Matt Beane

Matt Beane is an associate with Roger Schwarz & Associates and co-authored a chapter of the recently published "Skilled Facilitator Fieldbook: Tips, Tools, and Tested Methods for Consultants, Facilitators, Managers, Trainers, and Coaches," available on Amazon.com and via other quality booksellers.

This article was originally published in Fundamental Change, Roger Schwarz & Associates' free, monthly ezine. You can subscribe at: http://www.schwarzassociates.com/fundamental_change.html

In exchange for subscribing, you'll receive a link to a free .pdf copy of "Holding Risky Conversations," a chapter from our recently-published fieldbook.

We write Fundamental Change to help you create workplaces and communities that are simultaneously highly effective and that improve the quality of life.

Every month we:

* Address issues important to you as practitioners and leaders * Share client examples and case studies * Offer tips and tools for challenging situations * Offer resources to help you become more effective.

one time home cleaning Highland Park ..

In The News:

Privacy risks are hiding in plain sight, as your personal data is likely being collected, tracked, and sold without your knowledge.

VenHub, a fully autonomous, AI-powered smart store just opened at the LAX/Metro Transit Center in Los Angeles.

A woman's Facebook account takeover reveals dangerous social engineering tactics and provides lessons on recovery, avoiding scams and enacting stronger security measures.

Shanghai engineers are using 432 walking robots to relocate a complex, preserving Shikumen architecture while creating space for a modern underground hub and cultural center.

Major healthcare data analytics firm Episource had a cybersecurity incident exposing 5 million patients' medical records and personal information in recent breach.

A new sophisticated PayPal scam sends legitimate-looking emails from official PayPal addresses, using phone numbers instead of links to convince victims to download remote access tools.

Fox News' AI Newsletter brings you the latest on this rapidly evolving technology.

The innovative Kara Pod device extracts moisture from air to create mineral-rich water and brew coffee, featuring UV sterilization and compatibility with Nespresso pods.

Gov. Hochul unveiled New York's nuclear power plant project to power a million homes, which faces permit challenges while promising jobs and a cleaner energy future.

SAFE introduces Aerie, an underground luxury bunker combining high-end living with advanced security, wellness amenities and interactive walls simulating panoramic views.

A Facebook scammer posing as Elon Musk tricked a victim with promises of a Tesla and $250,000, requesting gift cards that become untraceable once the codes are shared.

Experience hands-free golfing with the Robera Neo smart caddie that uses AI to follow you, navigate obstacles and carry your clubs with GPS course mapping.

Cybersecurity alert: 16 billion passwords exposed in massive credential database affecting major platforms. Protect your accounts with password managers

The innovative BeBot robot uses electric power to remove pollution from shorelines, covering 20-30 times more area than manual collection while preserving wildlife.

A new ClickFix campaign targets macOS users with fake Spectrum support sites, tricking victims with CAPTCHA failures to paste commands that install information-stealing malware.

AI-powered autonomous trucks from Plus Automation are being tested across the U.S., Europe and Asia to solve logistics challenges while facing regulatory hurdles and labor concerns.

Your health information might feel private and secure with your doctor, but the reality is far more complicated. Data brokers collect a wide range of sensitive health data, from diagnoses and prescription details to personal identifiers, and sell this data to marketers, insurers, and other third parties.

Kepler Robotics has officially introduced its Forerunner K2 "Bumblebee" humanoid robot at the SAIC-GM automotive plant in Shanghai, marking a significant moment in the real-world deployment of advanced robotics.

Scammers never seem to be running out of new ways to try and get their hands on your money – and lately, they've been getting sophisticated.

Thirty people were injured and killed, though the exact number remains currently unknown, when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a Damascus church.

Unexpected password reset alerts signal potential hacking attempts or phishing scams. Learn how to respond and establish stronger security measures for your accounts.

A historic electric airplane flight landed at JFK with passengers, marking a milestone as Beta Technologies demonstrates the practicality and efficiency of electric air travel.

The Chaos ransomware group breached Optima Tax Relief in a double-extortion attack, stealing sensitive customer case files and corporate documents with personal information.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

The first human brain-computer interface by Paradromics was completed in 20 minutes, featuring microelectrodes to help paralyzed individuals control computers with thoughts.

Leading the Witness: How Asking Questions as a Trainer Can Limit Learning and Reduce Trust

Team Building