At some point, in the spirit of collaboration and dialog, leaders were taught that open-ended questions are more effective than close-ended questions.  In many instances that is true.  Open-ended questions promote dialog and discussion.  But, as with any rule, it is important to understand the context and assumptions underlying the rule.  Otherwise it is easy to fall into the trap of applying the rule at the wrong time (e.g., “My boss ordered new computers for Joe and I”).  I often see leaders rephrase a close-ended question. When I ask why they switched they tell me that good leaders are supposed to ask open-ended questions.

Open-ended questions are more effective if your goal is to understand a process, However, if your goal is to understand an outcome, close-ended questions are far more efficient. 

For example, a leader was trying to understand how well a direct mail campaign was working.  She asked her people a series of open-ended questions.  How were they approaching the campaign? What was working? What areas needed improvement?  After thirty minutes she had a very clear understanding of their process.  She still didn’t know whether the direct marketing campaign was affecting sales.  That required a direct, close-ended question.

Another leader wanted to know if his managers were effective leaders.  He asked the manager’s direct reports to describe the manager’s behaviors and actions.  As with the other leader, he developed a great understanding of the activities taking place but received no insight on the results of those activities.

Don’t be afraid of close-ended questions when you have a specific, discrete question that you need answered.

Rules of thumb, in any context, can be helpful as long as you understand the context and assumptions underlying those rules. Sometimes a close-ended question is best while other times an open-ended question is needed.  Be sure to have multiple tools in your toolbox and learn to use them appropriately.

————————————————–
Brad Kolar is the President of Kolar Associates, a leadership consulting and workforce productivity consulting firm.  He can be reached at brad.kolar@kolarassociates.com.