Do Your Questions Compel Others to Answer?

What’s the trigger in some people’s questions that get even the experts tossing back responses?  Have you ever considered how a second foot adds momentum to your queries?

It’s easy to default to ruts through asking questions that generate rigid routines, rather than lead to personal growth.  Let’s say you ask, What’s Intrapersonal Intelligence?” The answer simply calls for a definition, but this question does not ignite any personal involvement in personal growth involved in intrapersonal intelligence.

Unlike regular questions, two-footed zingers(such as What’s Intrapersonal Intelligence and how does it ratchet up your IQ at work?) engage people in their outcomes. Compare two footed and regular questions below – as they relate to self-growth or intrapersonal intelligence growth areas.

Two-footed question

Compare Regular Questions about Personal Growth – with  2-Footed  Kind:

Regular  question: What feedback did you get back at work?

∞ Brain based two-footed question that leads to innovative action might ask here: What key suggestion might a brilliant supervisor make to help you benefit more from today’s feedback?

Foot one: relates to content (or the feedback in this case) Foot two: relates to your engagement with the content (as it leads to innovative action.)

Regular question. How could you be more vulnerable so others will help you?

∞Brain based two-footed question or follow-up might ask here: If you could open up more in return for perfect wisdom to support personal growth, what would you do differently today?

Foot one: relates to content (or the wisdom sought in this case) Foot two: relates to your engagement with that content (as wisdom leads to innovative action.)

Regular question: What was  my best contribution to the team?

∞ Brain based two-footed question or follow-up might ask here: What contribution did you make that inspired your team to grow personal strengths today?

Foot one: relates to content (or your specific contribution in this case) Foot two: relates to your inspired implementation of that content (as inspired acts lead to innovative action.)

Regular  question: What can you do to collaborate more?

∞ Brain based two-footed question or follow-up might ask here: What task would improve my team building tasks today, and how will we all benefit?

Foot one: relates to content (or your  collaborative task in this case) Foot two: relates to your  team building tasks that improve the team’s outcomes (as collaboration leads to innovative team gains.)

Regular question: What one thing could the team improve from your work?

∞ Brain based two-footed question or follow-up might ask here: What specific improvement from team suggestions would improve your offering and how will that propel your group’s project?

Foot one: relates to content (or your team offering that needs improvement in this case) Foot two: relates to your prediction about what others might suggest so that you can better grow intrapersonal intelligence as you go forward.)

Regular question: How could you  affirm more talents and accomplishments of each teammate?

∞ Brain based two-footed question or follow-up might ask here: What specific task would affirm team members’ strengths and how will you ensure it happens with dividends for all?

Foot one: relates to content (or your encouragement task in this case) Foot two: relates to your encouragement offered to improve the team’s outcomes (as genuine encouragement leads to innovative team gains.)

2-Footed Questions  Create Curiosity to Invest in Answers:

Regular questions tend to activate one side of the brain only, and 2-footed questions engage both sides of the brain. Rather than limit your brain’s working memory or stick to tired traditions 2-footed questions offer brilliant new approaches that trigger responses stubborn problems? Did you know, for instance, that two-footed questions move people to see problems with Einstein-like-curiosity for vibrant answers that raise IQ.

Rejuvenating  brain studies show surefire ways to grow and retain brainpower through regular workouts. Add to mental fitness – questions that engage curiosity through multiple intelligences.

Einstein enlisted curiosity through questions, as a guide to mind-bending performances, and so can you. Like a good engine in winter, curiosity needs to be revved a bit by actions questions cause.

Here at the MITA International Brain Based Center, we pose 2-footed questions to rev up curiosity and create life-changing solutions. One foot leads into solid facts  and the other steps into interest and experiences of people questioned.

Can you see sparks for learning and curiosity for new approaches to problems people care about?

Take the economic crisis we currently face.  From a brain based perspective, learners might pose this two-footed question:

How can we bailout from financial losses and target brainpower for financial growth, in spite of bad news daily?

This 2-footed question raises new curiosity to fuse financially sound facts together –  into solutions that could turn financial disasters around. While messages of mistrust and cynicism jump out of computer screens daily, to rob both our coffers and our brainpower, two footed questions offer a road back to prosperity. How so?

Consider problems identified below:

1. Problem identified: Confidence is weakened.  Curiosity sparked: It takes intrapersonal intelligence to recharge money decisions. Not surprisingly, that confidence diminished with each negative news cast believed. Bad news erodes your intrapersonal intelligence, preventing you from handling finances with integrity, motivation, well-being. It robs intelligence needed to mind-bending risks for mutual dividends in every circle.

2. Problem identified: Decision making is marred. Curiosity sparked: The brain’s chemical fuels are hampered by the incessant doom that fills discussions about our losses. For example mental chemicals that guide good decisions include serotonin, which is reduced by this emphasis on negative financial newscasts. In contrast the stress and anxiety caused by failing finances creates more cortisol chemicals, which reduces our ability to move forward successfully.

3. Problem identified: Stress is increased at harmful levels. Curiosity sparked: Long term stress will literally shrink the human brain, shorten life spans, slow down thinking, and lower the immune system.

The list of mental losses goes on, as each negative emerges from our interactions, and creates an equally or more potent negative in the human brain’s machinery. How could we expect to improve the fiasco financial landscape in such a weakened intellectual state?

Perhaps this is a  smaller start than most make, but I plan to begin a renewed conversation today that will trigger brainpower to improve my own and others’ financial well being for the day. How so?

Relying on the brain’s natural supply of plasticity:

• I’ll strengthen my intrapersonal intelligence by ensuring integrity in my accounts.

• I’ll raise and maintain my serotonin levels for good decisions,  by looking more at solutions than problems.

• I’ll run from the stress and fears over lost finances, and instead  walk along  the Erie Canal today, as I review my own life-changing financial targets.

You? Here are 256 fun, unique two-footed questions, one for every weekday of the year. Enjoy!  There’s also a graphic organizer to show evidence of each response in real live improvements or applications of each question/response. Take what you learn into what you live in a new way through these adventures!

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Created by Ellen Weber, Brain Based Tasks for Growth Mindset

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Smart skill 3 = Question with the Brain in Mind and Move
Smart skill 4 = Question Research to Create Cutting Edge Tools
Smart skill 5 = Question Myths and Reboot Brainpower
Smart skill 6 = Question Ahead for Grandparent or Family Roles
Smart skill 7 = Question to Know How You are Smart
Smart skill 8 = Question with Two Feet to Spark Curiosity
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Smart skill10 = Question Brainpower Through Growth Surveys