Hey there, fellow curious minds! Today, I’m excited to share with you a powerful technique called the “Question Storm.”
Brainstorming helps us generate ideas, while a question storm unleashes a deluge of questions, firing up our curiosity and creativity. I’m going to walk you through the steps of this process that will flood your mind with questions and pave the way for exciting discoveries. So grab some paper and a pen, and let’s get ready to ride the waves of curiosity!
What is a Question Storm?
Just like brainstorming, a question storm is a technique that encourages us to come up with a plethora of questions instead of ideas. It’s a fun and engaging way to tap into the depths of our curiosity. When we’re kids, we constantly ask questions. About everything we see an experience. But as adults, we’re not wired to generate a flood of great questions easily. But don’t worry; I have a plan to get us there!
Step 1: Identifying Values, Challenges, and Wishes
To kick off the question storm, let’s start by jotting down things we value in our work. What aspects of your job do you find essential and fulfilling? Write them down, and let’s move on to the next step.
Next, think about the challenges you encounter in your work. What are the hurdles you face, and what issues do you wish to overcome? Write down a couple of words or phrases to capture these challenges.
Finally, let’s explore your wishes for your work context. What improvements or changes do you dream of? It could be anything from reducing the number of meetings to fostering better communication. Remember, we’re staying focused on the work context for now, but you can adapt this for personal contexts as well.
Step 2: Embracing Curiosity
As we progress, let’s dig deeper into our natural curiosities. Think about anything that genuinely sparks your interest, whether it’s related to work or not. Imagine we’re sitting together for a coffee chat, and you have three hours to ask questions. What would you ask? Jot down a couple of keywords that capture your curiosities.
Step 3: The Word Festival
Now that we have a handful of words and phrases capturing our values, challenges, wishes, and curiosities, it’s time for a word festival! Take a moment to go through your list and underline or circle the ones that resonate most with you at this moment.
Now, let’s take a moment to share some of the words that stand out for each of us. Feel free to unmute and popcorn out a couple of your circled words. (Participants share words such as “selflessness,” “communication,” “honesty,” “team harmony,” etc.)
Step 4: Converting Words into Questions
Alright, we’re making progress! Now, let’s convert these words and phrases into questions that stem from our natural curiosity. Imagine you’re seeking answers to these questions in the next 20 minutes; what would you ask? Take a minute to convert your words into questions.
Step 5: Question Storm Breakout
Now comes the exciting part! I’ll split us into breakout rooms, and in these quick sessions, you’ll share your questions with others. Simply read out your questions, and everyone will get a chance to contribute their queries. Collaboratively, decide on the top one or two questions you want to explore further.
Step 6: Share and Refine
After the breakout sessions, we’ll reconvene, and I’ll ask some participants to share their favorite questions. We might word-smith and tweak them a bit, keeping in mind that one of these questions might become the title of a video we’ll film live right here!
Congratulations! You’ve successfully ridden the waves of a question storm and embraced the power of curiosity. Question storms are an excellent tool to generate a plethora of thought-provoking inquiries that lead to exciting discussions and discoveries. Remember, you can use this technique in various contexts, whether it’s at work or in your personal life. So go forth and incite curiosity everywhere you go!
Thank you for joining me on this journey of exploring the art of questioning. Feel free to use and adapt this idea of a question storm in your own classes or group activities. Together, let’s foster a culture of curiosity and continuous learning. Until next time, keep asking, keep exploring, and keep storming with questions!