Think about the differences between these two questions:
- Do you know why this happened?
- Why do you think this happened?
"Do you know..." could be answered with just a yes or no, whereas "why do you think..." could not. These are broad questions, of course, and I find many times people answer them the same way, so consider more nuanced questions:
- Did the third step in our process cause this defect?
- What do you think are the likely causes of this defect?
Again, the first question just needs a word, but the second question needs more. Assuming you don't know what caused the defect (hence the questions), will the first question get you what you need to know? Maybe. Who's asking? What's the team atmosphere like? How does management tolerate uncertainty? How safe do people feel when proposing new ideas or admitting they don't know something?
Karen Martin offers a handy guide with examples of the differences between close-ended and open-ended questions. Just becoming aware of the difference is a good place to start. Some methods I've developed or picked up to build this capability in myself and others are:
- Practice deliberately. Enlist a colleague and ask them questions about a project they're working on using only open-ended questions. Switch roles and repeat.
- Ask about what you don't know. Might seem simple enough, but think about the "atmosphere" questions above. Asking people what they thought, what they did, how they reacted, or how they felt are all examples of asking about what you don't know.
- Know your time, setting, and audience. Avoid putting peers or subordinates on the spot in big group settings if you want to deeply understand something. Be proactive about finding another time and come back to the group with material changes.
- Use some structure. Open-ended questions don't have to be vague. Consider these questions and think about how you can blend what you know with what you don't know:
- What happened?
- It looks to me like we completed this task successfully eight times today and failed on the ninth. What was different about the ninth time?
- Recognize when close-ended is okay! Sometimes you need to learn and sometimes you need to test hypotheses. Close-ended questions can be great for testing hypotheses, but if in doubt, I would recommend open-ended questions (because of the doubt!).
Questions that are poorly worded, heavily structured, fraught with bias, or designed to trap people will increase the buffers around you and make it harder for you to see and understand what is truly happening.