What Are You Thinking About?

Questions are the sole of TRUTH, and this is one question that can be very effective. Other similar questions such as How are you? Can be answered with a simple “good” that tells you little. “What” makes you think and answer a little more.

This is what is known as an “open-ended” question that forces you to answer in more than just one word. The possibilities are endless; it depends on how tired you might be and how much you want to give the person asking.

Have you used it before? Perhaps when there was silence between you and your partner in an intimate situation. You are trying to get a sense of what they are thinking to see if you are thinking alike.

Answering “What are you thinking about?” can vary depending on the context and your relationship with the person asking. Here are a few approaches:

1. Honest and Direct: If you’re comfortable sharing your thoughts, you can be straightforward. For example, “I was just thinking about our plans for the weekend.”
2. Light and Playful: If you want to keep the mood light, you might say something humorous or playful. For instance, “I was wondering if I could ever train my cat to fetch.”
3. Reflective: If you’re in a more introspective mood, you could share something deeper. For example, “I’ve been thinking about how to balance work and personal life better.”
4. Deflective: If you prefer not to share, you can gently deflect the question. For example, “Oh, just the usual stuff. What about you?”
5. Curious: Turn the question back to them to keep the conversation going. For example, “I was just thinking about how interesting our conversation is. What about you?”

The key is to tailor your response to the situation and your comfort level. It will take some skill in listening to get at the TRUTH. Body language, speech patterns, reflection and other indicators should be called upon to fully understand what they are saying.

There are a great number of techniques or ways to ask questions that help to produce TRUTH about almost any subject. “What are you thinking about” can be very affective, but is it the right question?

One of the most satisfying aspects of leadership is, I believe, the impact you have on the people around you, your followers, your staff, or your workers. The maximum impact happens when you can trigger and influence the thought process itself. It is the power of thinking that makes us unique as humans. One of the most important roles of a leader is to nurture, encourage and amplify that latent power in every person within your sphere of influence. To get them to think for themselves. This one important question is a good way to judge.

Sometimes of course there is total silence, or the person might say "I just don't know". There might now be a temptation to answer the question directly. Don't provide the answer yet, in place of an answer ask another question starting with something like "What if ..." or "How about ...". You need to ask the right question, and guide the person to the answer, which should equip the person to then discover the answer to the original question.

In?conclusion, it's key to make sure we're asking the right questions. If we're not getting what we want, or if life's responses aren't hitting the mark, the remedy lies in reshaping the questions.