There is an African Proverb that states “The one who asks questions doesn’t lose his way.” As trainers, we have all heard and probably have stated, “There are no stupid questions.” And yet, on occasion, we may have heard questions where the answer may appear quite obvious to us. A friend recently shared a classroom experience with me where a participant, in the class she was taking, asked a question and the course leader’s response was, “You don’t know that?” My friend shared that you could hear a pin drop after that comment was made. The participant who asked the question was noticeably embarrassed and obviously there were no further questions in that classroom environment. My friend stated that, from that point on, she did not feel safe and the rest of the class had shut down. This is a clear example of what many adult learners have experienced, which adds to the negative baggage that many bring into the training environment. (My Langevin colleague, José Rego, details this quite superbly in his blog A Change of Heart.) Many times participants fear asking questions because they don’t want to seem stupid, uninformed, or feel belittled. This is the stuff that makes us sweat as trainers because, as an adult learning principal, it is important that we preserve the self esteem of the adult learner at all costs.
HANDLING QUESTIONS RESPECTFULLY
In all of our Langevin courses, we address the topic of questions as a part of our housekeeping. We invite the learner to ask questions and even challenge us respectfully. We also post a parking lot, a technique used to “park” questions that can be dealt with at a later time. I often tell participants that I respect that some people may be shy and perhaps not comfortable posing questions in front of a large group; so I invite them to write their question(s) on a post-it-note without their name, if they prefer to remain anonymous. We also offer learners additional time after class to ask questions. Obviously the learners’ questions are important to us and, therefore, we must inform them that questions are not a sign of ignorance, but an indication that they want to broaden their scope and sharpen their skills.
On the flip side, as instructors, we need to examine our own feelings about learner questions. Often we are concerned that we may not have the answers and for some reason feel that we are supposed to know everything. Obviously we should know what we are tasked to train but it is inevitable that there will be questions that we cannot answer. The text book approach clearly states, “Don’t fake an answer,” as this will surely damage the instructor’s credibility. It is best to be honest and transparent when you don’t have an answer and to do your best to get an answer to the learner as soon as possible. Another technique for dealing with questions for which you may not have an answer is to relay the question; many times other learners may have the answer. Remember, they are adults who bring experience with them to the classroom. Not knowing the answer provides a teachable moment for us as instructors to broaden our knowledge and scope. I am always picking up new information and nuggets from our participants. And, if the same question is posed again in another class, guess what? I’ll have an answer.
A good training environment should create a climate where there is two-way communication and mutual respect. Questions keep us in touch and represent an opportunity to create and build resources. We truly want to avoid the scenario that my friend experienced, so let’s embrace the who, what, where, when, why and how and, as the proverb states, never lose our way.
Linda
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