Question Reframing Method

A method for reframing questions to get better answers and clarity in decision-making. The core concept is that the quality of your questions determines the quality of your answers.

Core Question-Asking Philosophy

• Vague questions lead to confusion and heartache
• Clear, specific questions lead to uncommon clarity and results
• Questions act as a "pickaxe for the brain" to excavate better thinking
• Don't answer bad questions at face value - send them back for improvement

Key Question Reframes

• Instead of "How can we succeed?" ask "What would make this certainly fail?"
• Instead of "I'm not sure what to do" ask "What would I do if I weren't afraid?"
• Instead of "Which path is right?" ask "What path makes for the best story?"
• Instead of vague open-ended questions, ask specific, actionable ones

Powerful Questions for Teams

• "What are we stupid for not doing right now?"

  • Assumes there's always something obvious being missed
  • Forces focus on low-hanging fruit versus complex solutions
  • Reveals unspoken opportunities

• "What are the dogs not barking?"

  • Identifies missing feedback that should be present
  • Anticipates hidden problems before they surface
  • Example: If no one complains when a service stops, it wasn't valuable enough

Implementation Tips

• Bounce back poorly formed questions to sender
• Help others rephrase their questions for better results
• Use question reframing for both personal and team decision-making
• Apply similar principles when working with AI tools like ChatGPT