Approach
QUESTION THINKING™
using questions for great results everywhere it matters
Our approach to working with individuals, teams, and organizations is based on concepts, tools, and practices developed by Marilee Adams, Ph.D. over the past 25 years.
Clients have used QUESTION THINKING™ methodologies to create desired results by:
Developing solutions to new and long standing organizational effectiveness and business challenges
Responding quickly to and implementing changes
More strategically analyzing and considering possibilities for growth
Finding new ways of collaborating and breaking down barriers that impede success
Acquiring a lasting facility with the questions and strategies needed to create an Inquiring Culture to move their organizations to the next level
QUESTION THINKING™ is aligned and complementary with new understandings of change provided by neuroscience as well as with perspectives and methods associated with Positive Psychology; Emotional, Social and Moral Intelligence; Appreciative Inquiry; Action Learning; and Learning Organizations.
An Inquiring Mindset sets us on the QUESTION THINKING™ path. An Inquiring Mindset is the habit, curiosity, and courage of asking open-minded questions of oneself and others. For us to become effective and have it live as a moment-to-moment choice in our lives is a lifelong practice. It means having BOTH
a highly developed Learner Mindset
a Question Thinking™ orientation
Whether we ask Learner or Judger questions frames our thinking, listening, behaving, and relating. This is why we focus on our mindset first.
Question Thinking™ (QT) is a method of intentional and skillful question asking that improves the quality and use of the questions we ask ourselves and others – which determines the quality of our results.
Questions shape the direction of our answers, thinking, decisions and behaviors. Therefore, solutions that do not begin with the right questions can cause even bigger problems and every question missed is a potential crisis waiting to happen.
Thinking occurs as an internal question and answer process such that what is typically considered a statement or thought actually represents an answer to a question – even when the questions themselves are “invisible” or not noticed. New questions can literally change the direction of how we think, approach problems, communicate, behave, and relate to others.
Question Thinking™ offers an approach for slowing down the automaticity of internal questions and answers, offering possibilities for choice and change in real time – and therefore, new results.
The QUESTION THINKING™ tools empower you to develop both Learner Mindset and Question Thinking™ components of your Inquiring Mindset AND put them IN ACTION.
2023 Inquiry Institute
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