Open questions give us more information because:

• They encourage other people to talk.
• We get opinions and ideas from others.
• They can help us determine if people have interpreted what we say correctly.
• They can help us arrive at consensus much more readily.

Open questions typically begin with a variation of the five W’s (who, what, when, where, why) or ask how. Good open questions include:

• “What is your opinion?”
• “How do you think we should solve the problem?”
• “What would you do in my shoes?”
• “Tell me more about…”

Note: Be very careful about “why” questions. All too often these questions sound like accusations, and the listener immediately becomes defensive.