The Intelligent Way of Asking What You Want

The Intelligent Way of Asking What You Want

How Would You Know Well If You Don’t Ask At All? And How Would You Ask Well If You Don’t Know At All?” ― Martin Uzochukwu Ugwu

Right off the bat, let’s clear one thing – asking is not bad! Sometimes you might not get what you want without asking for it. But just asking might not cut it; you need to ask accurately. Ensure asking the right questions to the right people at the right time. In this article, we’ll go through a few things that will help you in asking intelligently.

Be specific 

While asking questions, you need to make sure you are straightforward, on-point and clear. Specific communication is utterly essential, whether in a personal space or a professional environment. The more precise your question is, the easier it would be for the other person to understand and help you out with a solution. On the other hand, if you fail to be specific or ask the wrong questions, you will be running around the bush till you change your approach. 

A prudent question is one-half of wisdom. – Francis Bacon

Ask the right person 

No matter how well you asked or how specific and intelligent the question was, you will never get your answer unless you ask the right person. For instance, you are having trouble learning the new code, you approach someone with particular questions regarding the errors in the code, but the person you are asking has never written a code in their life, do you think they would be able to help you? Of course not! When approaching someone for help, make sure they have the knowledge, connections, or experience to provide you with solutions. 

Create value for the person you are asking 

When you ask for help, make sure you have something to provide in return. It will help you create a mutually beneficial relationship and goodwill. Approaching someone for a solution in itself is a positive sign and directly showcases the trust and respect you have for them. It makes the individual feel valuable. It is wise to ask good questions, but that does not mean that you constantly ask, as it diminishes your value and makes the conversations off.   

Ask with a belief  

While asking someone to go out of their way to help you, you need to be confident and sure if you will genuinely action it. It is a bad sign if you take all the inputs but do not do something about the solutions received. In order to strengthen your bond and build a healthy relationship, always get back to the person and inform them about the outcome of the solution obtained. Do not forget to thank them if your work is done, and if it didnt work out, then subtly inform them. It gives them a feel-good factor that you did not forget to get back to them when your work is done. 

You need to show conviction, know what you want, be confident about succeeding and creating value for other people along the way.

Asking intelligently is a skill that you can harness by using these methods. Just like any other skill, the more you practice it, the better you’ll get. 

By Vrutika Dawda, Director, IdeateLabs