This book is an invaluable desk reference for facilitators, leaders, coaches and anyone who wants to engage in more effective learning and decision-making conversations. It offers over 1700 rich questions that you can borrow or adapt to improve your inquiry skills, and provides clear frameworks that point to when, where, and why particular questions are most useful.
Making Questions Work serves a similar, useful purpose for people involved in convening groups of people in order to help them reach a shared understanding of the nautre of the problem or opportunity facing the organization or community -- a rhyming dictionary for facilitation.
Very nice done -- a handy reference for anyone involved in facilitation.
Strachan opens with a couple of well-written chapters on questioning techniques and facilitation principles. Much of this has been covered elsewhere, but Strachan's synopsis is an excellent reminder while also being easily accessible and well-organized. The book then delves into how to use different types of questions for specific outcomes, with a wealth of real-world examples that would work in any corporate environment. From "follow-up" and "opening a session" to "addressing issues" and "thinking critically," each chapter breaks down the why's and how's of question design before listing samples, tips, real situations that have direct applicability in any number of settings.
Because every facilitation is different, having a deep arsenal of questions keeps the discussion productive while enabling the facilitator to be responsive, agile, and most of all, effective. Strachan's book does all this capably and comprehensively, without filler or fluff. Highly recommended for anyone interested in improving group dynamics on teams, in meetings, or in formal workshops.