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What The Art of Asking Questions is about, where to begin, and what you get as a subscriber

Hello, and welcome! If you’ve just found this publication, this page will help you get your bearings.

What this is about

The Art of Asking Questions explores questioning as a practical skill: how the questions we ask (and the ones we avoid) shape our conversations, our decisions and our careers. I draw on more than a decade in management consulting and research, so expect grounded, usable ideas rather than abstract theory. I write about workplace communication, leadership, persuasion, research methods and how AI is reshaping professional work. Some of my pieces are collaborations with other writers, which I sometimes complement with live conversations.

If you’re a a manager, a consultant, a researcher or simply someone who wants to think and communicate more clearly, you’re in the right place. New articles arrive weekly.

Where to start

Rather than scrolling through the archive, here are a few pieces that give you a good feel for the publication:

• What Your Questions Are Actually Saying — why well-intentioned questions land badly, and how to design them so they don’t (a collaboration with Elina).

• 3 Principles for Keeping Questions Human — the difference between asking to understand and asking to confirm what you already suspect (a collaboration with Colette Molteni).

• Ask, Don’t Argue — what a blues musician who talked 200 people out of the Ku Klux Klan can teach us about persuasion (accompanied by a live video discussion).

• The Board Whisperer — how to communicate with senior audiences who have no time or patience for your workings (a collaboration with Claire Barrett, accompanied by a live video discussion).

• The Pyramid Is Crumbling — what AI means for the business model of professional services firms (a collaboration with Exploring ChatGPT).

• The Five Superpowers of Consultants (And How to Develop Them) — the skills that consultants deploy daily but everyone can learn (a collaboration with Cécile).

Free and paid subscriptions

Everything here is reader-supported, and most articles are free to read. Free subscribers also get access to my guide Demystifying Academic Research (pay what you can via Gumroad), plus welcome discounts on Leader Tools cards and Cozora.

Paid subscribers make this publication possible, and they get the practical layer on top of the ideas:

• Consulting with AI Series: the custom AI prompts I use in my own management consulting work, explained and ready to adapt.

• Full Course: Asking Questions Like a Pro - A Practitioner’s Guide to Mixed Methods Research ($199 value): practical research techniques refined across 10+ years of consulting engagements, covering design, facilitation and analysis.

• Practical Guides, Handbooks, Workbooks and Templates: premium resources from paid posts or 70% off discounts for my Gumroad assets.

• Cozora discount (up to $360 off): up to 50% off a Cozora subscription to learn AI from practitioners who use it in real work.

If my writing has ever saved you time, improved a meeting or changed how you approached a difficult conversation, a paid subscription is the best way to support the work.

Say hello

I read every comment and reply, and many articles here started from a reader’s question. If something resonates, or if you disagree, I’d genuinely like to hear from you.

Thanks for being here, and remember: when in doubt, ask.

Andrea