It’s easy to take something for granted when it’s a daily (if not hourly) part of your job. Asking questions, for example, is so woven into the responsibilities of a journalist that I’d wager many industry professionals don’t spend much time thinking about it.

But just because it’s a skill necessary to do the work doesn’t mean we’re as proficient as we could be. I recall interviewing veteran NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw some years ago and learning how he asked questions that would yield more informative answers: “What I do is anticipate how they’re likely to answer a question and try to steer them away from just a cliché of the moment.”

Another thing to consider is that asking questions of others doesn’t automatically make us able to do the sometimes-challenging and necessary work of self-interrogation. This is particularly crucial when you’re stressed and unhappy or have reached an inflection point in your career. So it’s worth revisiting how to ask better questions, as well as learning which questions to ask, depending on the circumstances.

Ask questions for self-improvement

Say you’re having trouble sleeping. It could be due to any number of factors; and there are some simple questions to consider to help determine the cause of your sleeplessness—like, Where do you leave your phone at night? Or questions that touch on work-related stress and unhappiness, which could be impacting your sleep.

One of the most important times to ask yourself the hard questions is when your negative inner voice is telling you that you can’t possibly do that. “Ask yourself, Why am I feeling this way? Why am I reacting like this?” says Kim Christfort, the chief innovation leader and national managing director for Deloitte Greenhouse, an executive breakthrough experience program. “Is it because there’s an issue with the idea itself? Does the idea feel way too bold? Or is it the opposite? Is it that we’ve done this a million times, and this isn’t new at all?”

The other important time is when you’re thinking about making a major career change. This is when it would be a good time to ask: Am I just looking to get out? Or do I have something specific I’d like to do next? If the answer is vague, like you’re just curious about exploring a new position, profession, or education, follow it up by determining if you’ll be pushing boundaries, creating more of a sense of purpose, and aligning with your beliefs.

Ask questions to determine your next move

If you have any aspirations for leadership, then it’s also important to ask questions. These can range from the basic (i.e., Am I a fast learner?) to the more complex (i.e., Can I bring out the best in others? And do I have a clear vision of what I want to accomplish?).

“What needs to be done? What can be done? How much can I do?” are three basic questions to assess whether you are capable of being an inspired leader, according to Fast Company contributor Yonason Goldson. “It goes hand in hand with the ethical mindset that asks not whether it’s legal but whether it’s right; not what I can get away with but what kind of person I ought to be,” he writes.

Proceed with caution, though, says Kelly Campbell. Ask yourself: Am I attempting to earn attention and acceptance through helping? Like “being incessantly helpful, fixing others’ problems, or dishing out compliments to desperately seek approval,” says Campbell. “People-pleasing leaders may unconsciously continue using those tactics in hopes of gaining acceptance, especially from those they manage.” 

Ask questions to manage teams better

Once you’ve determined that you want to inspire and are sure you’re not enabling employees, cognitive scientist and Fast Company contributor Art Markman suggested five specific questions managers should ask their direct reports at least once a quarter to check in on their well-being and engagement. Start with: How are you? It’s important to set aside time to hear the whole answer, Markman says, not just the “fine, thanks” reflexive response. And don’t forget to ask them what they need to know to do their jobs better.

You can’t just check the box on the one-on-one, though. A good leader encourages their people to grow. Although David Weekly, head of Capital One Lab, observes that team members often don’t stretch their adaptability to solve problems that don’t fit within their job descriptions. To encourage more adaptable thinking, he suggests asking two questions to help spark creative thinking:  

Are your actions helping you accomplish your goals?  

How can you turn frustration into action?  

Managers often get hung up in the busyness of managing rather than empowering team members to get stuff done. The shortcut to delegating work is to ask yourself three crucial questions, starting with: ”What result will I observe when the work is done?” 

This is an excellent question that can serve you well no matter what stage of your professional life you’re in.

Fast Company