I finally figured out a better way to phrase my 'ask anything' questions after a workshop in Portland last month.

The instructor said to start with 'What's the simplest way to...' instead of 'How do I...' and it cut the confusing replies in half, so what's your go-to trick for getting clear answers fast?

3 comments

3 Comments

piperbailey1mo ago

Asking for a specific number or date range works for me. Instead of "when should I do this," I'll say "should I aim for 2 weeks or 4 weeks." It forces a direct comparison and stops vague advice.

mark_carr71mo ago

But what if both options they give you are actually bad?

tarabell1mo ago

Oh that's a good tip, but I've found it can backfire. If you give two options, people just pick one without saying why. I'll ask "should I use the blue or red design" and get "red" with no explanation. Now I add "and what's the main reason for that pick?" right after. It makes them give the logic behind the choice.