I’M MUCH LESS CONFUSED
when I know what kind of answers I’m hearing

PREVIOUS: Types of Qs (Part 1d)

QUOTES: “You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions” ~ Naguib Mahfouz, Egyptian writer

“The reason I talk to myself is that I’m the only one whose answers I accept.” ~ George Carlin

3 WAYS to RESPOND
UGLY – not responding at all.
• ‘Legitimate’ only if protecting yourself or someone important to you, a legal matter or matter of national security.
• Uncomfortable – not responding when asked an impertinent, rude or sensitive Qs

BAD – forcing the person asking the Q to work hard to figure out what your answer actually is. It’s not getting to the point, making things too complicated, or leaving out vital info…. which leaves the listener confused, uncertain & frustrated – even if they finally figure out what the point was.

GOOD – making clear, declarative statements right away.
Especially in business settings, the most effective type of answer summarizes the bottom line succinctly first, and then gives supporting or background information if needed.

Response CATEGORIES
• Direct Info (“I won’t be able to go with you on Wednesday”)
• Yes (“Yes, I do need to know what time you’re leaving…”)
• No (“No, I don’t understand what you’re asking…”)
• Maybe/ I’m not sure (“I might not be able to finish that in time…”) .
TIP : if MAYBE, it’s good to continue with (“…but what I do know is…”)

PROCEDURE for Answering
• Ask for clarification if you don’t understand the Q posed to you
• Ask questioner if they understood your answer. Don’t be afraid to clarify or repeat your point
• Be positive,  say how you feel, or mention your skills & accomplishments
• Consider any Q an opportunity to provide information about yourself
• Pause a couple of seconds before responding, even if you know exactly what you want to say, to put your thoughts in order – to be clear & avoid misunderstandings

RESPONDING to :
💁🏽‍♀️ Qs of Fact or Procedure
Their purpose is to gather/share knowledge, & answers are a matter of rule, requiring evidence & reasoning. FACTS: rely on evidence & witness proof – of what, who, where.  PROCEDURE : governed by rules, steps, official guidelines   Either answers are in Right or Wrong form.
🤷🏽‍♂️ Qs of Judgment
They require you to weigh multiple factors, apply logic, & choose the most reasonable or ethical action based on a specific event or situation.  They can show how you use safety rules, & good sense to solve tough work problems. Or they can involve expressing moral or spiritual choices.
Because Qs of J tend to cause debate to identify best solution, answers must be based on evidence & reasoning from multiple viewpoints. There are no single correct answers, only Better & Worse ones
🙋 Qs of Preference
Answers indicate one’s likes, styles or options. so are subjective, since the purpose of these Qs is to elicit personal opinions & tastes & so have no single factual answer (Dr. L. Elder & Dr. R. Paul)

* * * * * * * *
MAIN TYPES of Answers
🔹 AVOIDING
Used when asked a ‘difficult’ or sensitive Q that would reflect badly on the responder or their ‘party’.  Tactics include answering a Q with a Q, drawing attention to some positive feature of the topic, or totally changing the subject… especially used by politicians

🔹 DIRECT & HONEST
This is what the questioner is looking for when asking a Q. Usually given in declarative sentences.  “Keep it simple —”

🔹 DISTORTING
Different from lying, Answers change, twist or misrepresent facts – eliminating True Reality. Often based on the responder’s ‘understanding’ of social norms, stereotypes & bias, which leads to prejudice, or exaggerations that seem ‘normal’ or are successful. Can be from Cognitive Distortions = negative & irrational thought patterns 

🔹 LYING
Ultimately a form of protection, no matter how unnecessary, ‘unhealthy’ or harmful. A questioner / listener may be able to pick up on a lie – based on how plausible the answer is, but also on non-verbal communications used immediately before, during &/or after the answer being given.

🔹 OUT of CONTEXT
The respondent will say something totally unconnected or irrelevant to the Q, or try to change topics. An answer may seem ‘logical’ to them because first they’ve silently processed it in their head,  but only verbalize the end result.
So the answer won’t make sense to the questioner. However, if the issue is important enough – they have to bring the responder back to the original point – by repeating or rewording the Q.

🔹 PARTIAL – providing some correct or relevant info, without competing the whole ‘story’. Seen in partial-credit class, surveys to save partial data, or when information is limited. ALSO – when someone only wants to give incomplete info about themself or a sensitive topic.

🔹 REFUSING – The person deliberately refuses to respond, either by remaining silent, declining a request “I won’t…”, invoking their legal right such as taking “the 5th”, or simply saying, ‘I’m not answering that’.

🔹 STALLING – Although similar to Avoiding, it’s deliberately  used when more time is needed to stay calm during a hard conversation or test, or figure out an acceptable or safe answer.  May stall by answering the Q with another Q.

NEXT: Manipulating (Part 1)