Ask Powerful Questions: Create Conversations That Matter

This book was full of great information that I wished I had read when I was actively working at a large corporation where I facilitated a variety of meetings.Although, I am retired, I am still leading and facilitating now in Christian leadership and will take advantage of this information. Thanks for practical and useful information.

Ask Powerful Questions is a thoughtful, insightful, and very personal account from the author of his diverse experiences and lessons learned on his many (mis?)adventures climbing up the ‘powerful questions pyramid.’ He shares his hard-won wisdom through revealing personal stories of numerous attempts to establish genuine connections with others by mindfully practicing intention, rapport, openness, listening, and empathy. Along the way, he presents some familiar concepts in novel, imaginative ways to highlight useful distinctions. For example: How would you react if you witnessed a friend suddenly fall through the thin ice on a frozen lake in winter? This not-so-implausible scenario is used to discuss apathy, sympathy, and empathy; how they differ; and how they affect the dynamics and character of connecting with others.With earned humility and uncommon generosity, the author is quick to share his own plentiful failures. I’m sure they are there to remind readers of the importance of struggling well when dealing with their own beautiful mistakes. (Beautiful in their teaching value, that is.) Mistakes and missteps are inevitable, after all, when pursuing mastery.And let’s be clear, MASTERY is certainly what is being described here--as a journey, not a destination. But importantly, this is not mastery OVER others, but rather mastery WITH them (this is an evolved form of power that ‘servant leaders’ understand well and use to great effect), where EVERYONE is enriched and supported by deeper personal connections that can only be built on a foundation of genuine curiosity, meaningful conversations, and well-crafted questions.As a researcher, writer, and speaker on ‘conscious’ leadership and creative collaboration; I recognize the profound value of crafting conversations that matter. The deep and durable interpersonal connections that are formed from asking powerful questions are the necessary psychological/emotional scaffolding required by high-performing teams. Whether in ‘industrial making’ (e.g., agile software development teams) or ‘artful making’ (e.g., ensembles of performing artists), effective leadership/collaboration requires curiosity, connection, co-creation, character, culture, and community. ALL six of these essential pillars are built, bolstered, and expanded through the art (and many soulful rewards) of asking powerful (a.k.a., beautiful) questions.

See what you think after reading this book. It looks at reality from a new lens. It’ll certainly make the conversations you have with others more interesting and memorable!

The goal of this book is to teach readers to ask questions that will require the listener to think and respond with fresh and new answers. The book is organized to discuss intention, rapport, openness, listening and empathy. The base for good conversation is to understand the intention. The author uses excellent examples through out the book, including why intention is the base of all good communication, understanding intention allows one to solve and address the key issues not necessarily what the people will find easy to address with a simple or evasive answer. Overall, I enjoyed the book and found it helpful. The introduction was a big long and wordy, but once the author got the meat of the matter it was well paced.Ali Julia review

I found the book through an Amazon recommendation and, as a teacher, thought it would be helpful. And man... Amazon nailed it with that recommendation!For most of my life, having conversations, making connections, and building friendships was always a real challenge. Reading Ask Powerful Questions has been such an eyeopener. It's so much that I wish someone would have taught me earlier.Highly, highly recommend!

I thought this author gave some useful information but this book could have been rented….

Exactly as described and arrived in a timely fashion

I HIGHLY recommend this book --- have bought five more for Christmas presents and to loan to friends !Given what's going on in this country, I have found my heart-mind hardening to people whose beliefs and actions differ from mine. So when I was invited to Thanksgiving with a group of Trump supporters, I accepted as a spiritual growth opportunity. My first Zen teacher said, 'You can be right, or you can be free." I've been choosing 'right' over 'free' much of this year. Intolerance of intolerance is still intolerance. And my usual spiritual tools have not always been effective.Thankfully, Will Wise led a group I was in the week before Thanksgiving, and I immediately saw a way 'home' with his work. He gave me a key tag with "Listen to Win" on one side and "Listen to Understand" on the other, and I resolved to Listen to Understand in this situation.I bought this book and 'crammed' for Thanksgiving. I love that Will practices what he preaches and shares stories from his own life, and includes Traps and Tools for each section. Although we never got into 'politics,' if they had come up, rather remain silent, I was prepared to say, "We definitely have different beliefs in this situation" --- without judgment.Will's process for asking powerful questions include Intention, Rapport, Openness, Listening and Empathy. I used them all, and the boundaries around my heart dissolved to reveal the Love within.

Curiosity, Empathy, Non-judgmental attitude, and love for others are key to acceptance of each other and togetherness.

This gives very good insight for how to interact with new people. You have to identify common things/ thoughts to connect with people. Very good book for facilitators and trainers.

Will Wise explique de manière très simple, illustrée par de nombreuses anecdotes, comment entrer en contact avec les autres de manière sincère, comment créer des échanges fructueux et developper vos relations. Le tout commence, selon sa méthode, par le fait de savoir poser des questions qui appellent des réponses riches en contenu.Ce livre est pour toutes les personnes qui comprennent l'anglais, aime travailler sur leur rapport aux autres et ont ne démarche méthodique.

This book opened another path in the midst of building conversations that Matter. Easy and productive reading for all those interested to put more Heart into the world

Your average book. I didn't feel I learned from the content included.