Rachael Herrscher discusses the power of asking the right questions in her TED talk. She is the CEO and founder of an online media company. The document provides tips on how to be a good question asker by considering different archetypes like a question advocate, doctor, lawyer, etc. It then describes a process called QuestionStorming which is an alternative to brainstorming that focuses on generating questions rather than statements to help solve problems in a more creative way. The document encourages picking one action step to apply a questioning tip.

1. Questions…
move you toward what you want!
Explore the Impact of Questions
Expert highlight Rachael Herrscher
Presented by Denise Reed

2. Event Sponsor

3. Meet the expert
Rachael Herrscher discusses the process of learning to ask the right
questions in her TEDxSaltLakeCity talk What?: Asking the Right Questions.
She is is CEO and co-founder of TodaysMama.com, an online media and
publishing company founded in 2004.
Rachael was a finalist for the 2007 Stevie Awards "Best Young Entrepreneur"
award and was named one of Utah Business Magazine's 30 Women to
Watch in 2009. She was also featured in the book "UpStarts!: How Gen Y
Entrepreneurs are Rocking the World of Business" by Donna Fenn of Inc.
Magazine.

4. “What?: Asking the Right Questions”

5. Questions…move you toward what you want!
Let’s explore
● Become a question asking advocate.
● Consider your intention and share for connecting.
● Observe first and then ask questions.
● What do you need? Do you know?
● How you ask the question may make all the difference!
● What makes a good question?
● Get curious!
● What are some other things to know about questions?

6. Question advocate
● How to be a question advocate?
○ Consider the needs of others
○ Ask your questions from someone else’s perspective
○ Ask if there is something you’ve missed in your questions

7. Hey, Mom!
● How would this apply?
○ Encourage conversation.
○ Encourage connection.
○ Ask the listener to tell you about it.
○ Only answer what someone asks. They may not be ready for more.

8. Super Grover
● How would this apply?
○ Curiosity will help you ask more questions for clarity.
○ Be persistent when asking questions.
○ Ask different ways.

9. The Producer
● How would this apply?
○ What is the intention or desired outcome from the questions?
○ When interviewing ask questions to connect or the heart of the
matter.
○ Ask open ended questions vs. yes/no to create dialog.

10. CSI Investigator
● How would this apply?
○ Be a visual investigator.
○ What have you seen vs. what you’ve heard.

11. The Doctor
● How would this apply?
○ Ask an unscripted question if the question is routine.
○ Ask an unexpected question.
○ Consider counting the number of times you get a particular answer. If
you can count it, you can improve it!

12. The Lawyer
● How would this apply?
○ Do you want to listen?
○ Do you want to change the record?

13. The Investor
● How would this apply?
○ Listen to see if the answer answers your question.
○ Did you get a “one off” answer?
Question: Is it raining?
Answer: The sun is shining but people are carrying umbrellas.

14. The Programmer
● How would this apply?
○ Do you know the difference between what you want and what you
need?
○ Challenge everything to make sure you’re clear.
○ Be curious?

15. The Designer
● How would this apply?
○ Ask for visual cues.
○ When you fail, listening to what someone wants may help with clarity.

16. Blues Clues
● How would this apply?
○ Enjoy the silence after the question.
○ Wait for the answer before asking the next question.

17. What?: Asking the Right Questions
● Did any single questioning example hit home with you? Which one and
why?
■ Question advocate
■ Hey Mom
■ Super Grover
■ The producer
■ CSI investigator
■ The doctor
■ The lawyer
■ The investor
■ The programmer
■ The designer
■ Blues Clues

18. Question Storming
QuestionStorming is brainstorming with a twist! You’ll know a whole lot more by using a questioning
process to move toward innovation and generate possible new ways to solve your problems. The
idea of using questions to resolve problems is based on the Right Question Institute’s “Question
Formulation Technique”. The “Question Formulation Technique” was implemented in the classroom
for students to develop a questioning technique in 2012. Thanks to Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana.
The QuestionStorming process can be used in the business environment as an alternative for
brainstorming. The process of brainstorming is attributed to Alex Faickney Osborn in the book
“Applied Imagination” from 1953. Brainstorming has been used countless times as a creative problem
solving tool. The downside to brainstorming is the participants may fall into groupthink or develop
“forced” group consent on an idea, because statements are made instead of questions being asked
to creatively find answers.

19. Question Storming...How to
Step 1
Set a time limit for questioning. State in writing the problem to be solved. Use for groups or as an individual. It’s
recommended there be a scribe to write, if there is a group participating.
Step 2
The idea around this process is to generate as many questions as possible relating to the problem statement.
Step 3
Generate some new thoughts for the written questions that were created in Step 2. Change closed questions, which
can be answered yes or no; to open questions that invite discussion. Do this close vs. open question generation for
each of the questions generated in Step 2.
Step 4
Prioritize the whole list of questions from Step 2 and Step 3. See if three questions rise to the top to resolve your
problem statement from the whole list and create some next steps for action.

20. Question Storming
Check out this link to get a printable question storming handout.

21. Pick One Action Step
1. What questioning tip was the most helpful?
2. What steps can you take to create forward
momentum?
3. Share what you hope to gain with a new form of
questioning.

22. Presented summarized by:
Denise Reed
www.DeniseReed.is
Connect with Denise in: