There’s a BIG difference between conversation and asking clarifying questions.
Conversation is a core business practice. Conversation is a process – stimulated by strategic and cage-rattling questions – that demands listening and questioning assumptions and learning. And that conversational process produces quality decision-making and change.
Listening to a report and then asking questions about the report… that is NOT conversation. Conversation is open-ended. You don’t know where it’s going. You may be surprised. You don’t have all the answers.
You actually must intentionally design a conversation. Design the presentation of the information in a way that engages interest and stimulates strategic and cage-rattling questions. Propose questions to stimulate conversation. Facilitate the conversation well, ensuring many voices and diverse opinions and still more questions.
