How to Ask Great Questions — a Conversation with Ken Coleman | Buffini Podcast
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Throughout his career, Ken Coleman has asked thousands of questions of people from all walks of life, including former President George W. Bush, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, business leaders Dave Ramsey and John Maxwell, and iconic sports coaches Tony Dungy and Mike Krzyzewski (aka “Coach K”).
In fact, it was a conversation with Ramsey that led Coleman to an opportunity to co-host The Ramsey Show, the second-largest syndicated talk radio show in America.
Coleman is also a three-time bestselling author, as well as an in-demand leadership keynote speaker.
Recently, Coleman was a guest on Brian Buffini’s podcast, It’s a Good Life, where he shared his insights into how to know and use questions successfully in your private and business lives.
Here are some highlights from his podcast episode with Brian.
Questions Are the Keys to Unlocking Doors We Need to Walk Through
Children have an inherent and “hard-wired” way of asking questions, Coleman said.
“They have an insatiable desire to know why,” he said.
That practice, he added, leads to wisdom, knowledge, and connections.
“You want to unlock another human being, ask them really good questions about them, their favorite topic, and watch somebody get so comfortable that you were interested in them that at some point they go, ‘I should probably be interested in them,’” he explained. “And then they reciprocate. And so a question is a key to unlocking the possibilities, to unlock the answers that we need in life. It’s the greatest tool there is.”
Preparation Leads to Unexpected Results
For many luminaries, being asked a question is often something they have heard numerous times or that barely touches on the topic.
Coleman recommends preparing ahead of time so that you can go three or four levels deeper.
“My goal in every interview is to get somebody to go, ‘I haven’t shared this before,’” he said.
Even though he is doing so in the context of an interview, it’s a great tip that anyone can use in their personal or professional lives as well.
“You cannot get an interesting answer without an interesting question,” he added. “This is all really intentional.”
Listen With Your Eyes
In his interviews, Coleman said it is important to not only listen with your ears, but also your eyes.
“I’m listening for intonation change. I’m listening for uncertainty versus certainty. I’m listening for conviction. I’m listening for any kind of emotion. Now that’s with my ears,” he explained. “But now I’m going to listen with my eyes. And this is probably as important as the ears. I’m watching body language. I’m watching an uncomfortable shift, or I’m watching the shoulders drop.”
Simple body movements can also convey thoughts and levels of interest as well, he added.
“I like to lean in. I like to lean to the side. And again, this is not disingenuous, but it is a way of showing respect and engagement. And you’ll be surprised at the results.”
Listen to the entire podcast at itsagoodlife.com.
On Jan. 22, the tables will be turned when Coleman moderates a panel at Buffini Coaching Live, featuring esteemed thought leaders Dr. Henry Cloud and Jon Acuff, as well as Brian Buffini. This live event will be held in Las Vegas — click here for more information and to get a free ticket to the virtual broadcast.
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