Use simple, distilled questions to inspire change

Simple, distilled questions are one of my two most effective tools for helping people change. (The other is show, don’t tell.)

A well-crafted, repeated question will communicate the change, provide focus, and add some healthy pressure. This causes the receiver(s) to pause, adapt/rework (if needed), whilst keeping their autonomy and responsibility.

In contrast, I’ve found that telling people what to do or providing rigid systems (e.g. checklists and process flow diagrams) introduces brittleness, a sense of compliance, and admin overhead. It doesn’t work (and we don’t want it to anyway).

Some Questions I Regularly Use

“What did you learn … [e.g. about users, feature performance, subject area etc.]?”

This emphasises the importance of discovery, synthesis, and open-minded exploration.

“Are you happy with … [e.g. this design]?”

This encourages individual and team responsibility, emphasising quality and ownership. “I’d love to know why you’re happy with it?” is a great follow-up, to understand intent.

“Have you tested for … [e.g. speed/accessibility/etc.]?”

This highlights a specific, previously overlooked factor, and communicates its importance.

Crafting Simple Questions

• Identify the core issue by talking to the person or team.
• Assess the current state and define the desired future state — this gap forms the core of your question.
• Draft a simple, clear, empathetic question.
• Ask your question.
• Follow up with supportive actions.

Be prepared to repeat the question several times. Persistence, understanding, and patience are your friends here.

In my experience, simple, focussed questions help inspire change, whilst allowing people to own their work.