Question genres

There are two genres of questions in converations, meetings and virtual discussions: kind and toxic.

Kind questions are questions of:

  • Honestly seeking understanding of other people's good and goodness, concerns
  • Revealing the upsides to an idea, the lessons learned from success and progress
  • Inviting exploration of options
  • Offering help, support, clarity, value 

Toxic questions are questions of:

  • Making someone appear uninformed, not knowledgeable, not credible
  • Appearing to be more authoritative than others
  • Gaining or regaining control over a conversation
  • Thinly veiled criticism or rejection