Always ask “what”, not “any”

Yesterday I wrote: “Flux and intense curiosity“, linking to an annual post from Tom Whitwell of Flux called “52 things I learned in 2019”. The 52nd and last thing he had learned was:

Asking ‘What questions to do you have for me?’ can be dramatically more effective than ‘Any questions?’ at the end of a talk. (Many more good tips in this thread. [Jacqueline Antonovich]

Yes! Yes! Thrice yes!

Let me share why such a “Yes!” and give some further tips

“What” is an “opening” word, it puts forth that you, the audience, have questions and that the speaker really wants to hear them from you.

Similarly, when acting as the facilitator for a meeting or when you are leading a workshop, I’ve so often heard people at the front of the rooms ask questions like:

• “any questions?”
• “anything you would like to ask?”
• “is there anything you’d like to get from today?”

Any (or “Anything”) is a word that is the opposite of an “opening” one. It closes down the audience, it gives the impression that you aren’t really interested in their questions, in what they want from the meeting or workshop, that you are only asking as a formality and simply want to move on to download to them what you, as the expert, want to share.

Instead, ask “What”? It makes a huge difference in engagement!

Now, as a bonus, after asking “what”, be patient, ask “what else”. Next, keep being patient, keep asking “what else” until you are really clear that they are “done”. Only then do you ask “Is there anything else?”, which, at that stage, will likely get the last unspoken “ask” out from the room.

So, what else can I share with you in future blogs? (this blog is all about sharing learnings I come across on the way in life!).