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Socratic MethodSocrates answered questions with questions.What we know about the Socratic Method and Socrates comes only from what was written about him, mostly by his student Plato. Socrates answered questions with questions to dig deeper and help the questioner as well as Socrates himself understand the question and everything related to it. He didn't rush to answer.In business we so often feel that when someone asks us a question we have to come up with an answer. Use the Socratic method to start asking questions to understand what issues there are relative to the question, to comprehend the question before trying to figure out some answers, to be clear about what someone wants to know, what they are really asking. Jumping to a conclusion may be a jump in the wrong direction. It will also eliminate the possibility, based on Socrates, of exploring the question and subject in more depth together. His purpose in questioning was for both to learn and even possibly, the questioner being able to answer his own question.An example:What is the best way to apply to a college?Using the Socratic method: What kind of college do you want to attend? How can you find out how they prefer to receive their applications? How many colleges will fit your requirements? What are your requirements and how are they prioritized? If you could go to any college in the country, which one would it be? Why? Why else? What other colleges meet most of your requirements? And so on. This kind of a discussion helps the questioner understand the issues and realize that he can find out more about his question and get to a better answer.For any brainstorm subject or question, the best start is to brainstorm only questions related to the subject.In many cases exploring what all the questions should be allows you to decide if you need to do some research before getting to the brainstorm solutions stage. Fact, Opinion, or Options to BrainstormOnce you have written out all the questions, group them into1. questions of fact, meaning that it is something that you can look up; 2. questions of opinion, meaning that once you decide whose opinions you want to poll (sometimes it is the CEO's opinion and you ask the CEO directly), or 3. questions that truly are open questions that you are trying to brainstorm to look for options and possibilities. Once you divide them up, you check for the answers for the first two sets and then go to work brainstorming ideas for the third set. For help in coming up with questions, look at our Tools page or consider having one of the decks of cards available that are filled with questions to get the process going such as ThinkPak, Whack Packs, or KnowBrainer. Return from Socratic Method to home page
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