How to Ask Questions

"The life and blessing you pray for is on the other end of the questions you ask."

I was on a plane leaving Nigeria on May 1st, 2023, when I heard this from the global public speaker and one of Africa's best thought leaders and entrepreneurs, Vusi Thembekwayo. It was the "Innovating Our Way to the Future" conference that featured great African intellectuals. Had I not traveled that day, I wouldn't have missed turning up for this transformative event. Nonetheless, I had just embarked on a journey that would change my life's narrative entirely. Seated there, in my first ever international flight, Ethiopain Air was the airline my family had booked for me, it was one of the least expensive, and my family couldn't pay for WiFi because all the money had been spent on other things, so I didn't get access to internet. God so kind, my seat partner on the plane was kind enough to share his connection with me and I was able to join the event live on YouTube. Thousands of feet above the ground, I submerged in the transformative session by the great and global minds speaking at the event, and it felt like I was seated right there. The beauty of technology.

"The life and blessing you pray for is on the other end of the questions you ask." - Vusi Thembekwayo, 2023.

When I tuned in, Vusi was speaking. He mentioned the above in a story he shared about his first meeting with the iconic Nelson Mandela after winning the world championship in public speaking.

If there's anything our generation has lost, it is the virtue of asking questions. In the place of questions lies hidden knowledge and unraveled mystery.

Asking questions is the little key that's capable of opening gates of knowledge; asking good questions unlocks gates of treasure.

In my native tongue, Igbo, we would say, "onye ajuju anaghi e-fu uzor" this means, "one who asks questions never loses their way." Questions are golden, unarguably but not all questions get answered and not all questions get the right answers. Questions are the best way to communicate with intellectuals. Asking the right questions sets you on the right path. In case you don't know, the kind of questions you ask tell people what kind of person you are. From the questions you ask, people can tell your level of knowledge, your questions can either make you look wise or dumb. Before you ask, yes, there are dumb questions. No matter how people try to make it sound nice, asking these dumb questions makes you look dumber.

When given one-minute to be with the person you admire so much in this life, what would you ask the person?

Let me ask you, when given one-minute to be with the person you admire so much in this life, what would you ask the person? Pause for a moment. I know you have so many questions you'd like to ask Elon Musk when you get to sit with him or Bill Gates when you meet him. These are people who are rare to come by so the next time you may meet them in your lifetime, could at a point when you've reached the peak of your career and can afford their presence.

At some point in our lives, we've all asked what we call dumb questions, that's okay; it's that stage where we are just learning. Now that growth is happening to many of us, we're expected to become wiser. These "dumb" questions are tolerated when we're in educational settings (schools) and other forms of learning centers, like churches and other places of gathering. However, in networking, you don't have time to mess around.

Now follow this simple guide to learn how to ask questions.

• Before you release those questions, consider the environment in which you are. What calibre of people are here? Would it be wise if you asked those questions publicly or privately to the instructor?
• What topic is being discussed. Do you know so much about the concept taught? Sometimes, that could be your first time learning about that topic, that's fine.
• Before you ask that question, ask yourself if you can search on the internet for it. Any question you can find the answers to on the internet is unnecessary. Sometimes, it's laziness that stops you from searching the internet for answers.
• When networking with someone you admire, before you attend that event, ensure you do your home work on the person. Use the search engines and social media to learn more about the person(s) you'd like to speak to.
• Ask relevant questions only. Don't ask about people's private lives unless permitted to.
• Ask related questions. Don't ask people questions outside of their subject of learning.
• Let your questions be brief but concise.
• Your questions should show the willingness to learn and not brag about your knowledge. It's okay to brag but not in front of your destiny helpers.
• Choose your words carefully. If possible (and I'd recommend), write down your questions in a piece of paper. That exercise helps you put your thoughts together, and build composure.

In summary, prune your creative and critical thinking skills. Critical thinkers know the right questions to ask to get the answers they seek. Use the internet to your advantage, Google and YouTube have lots of answers, and we now have AI tools! These resources can help you develop your knowledge pattern.

I hope you find this helpful and insightful. You're welcome to read more articles from my space!