Argumentation Techniques
Socratic Questioning

Use guided questions to lead others to discover insights and solutions themselves.

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What it is

A method of inquiry that uses carefully crafted questions to guide thinking, expose assumptions, and help others reach conclusions through their own reasoning. Named after Socrates, who used questions to teach and reveal truth.

Before & after

Before

Leading questions: 'Don't you think we should...?' Overwhelming with rapid-fire questions.

After

'What challenges do you see?' 'What's worked before in similar situations?' 'What would need to change?'

When you’ll use it

Coaching conversations: 'What would success look like?' followed by 'What's preventing that from happening?'

Problem-solving meetings: 'What assumptions are we making?' then 'How could we test those assumptions?'

Strategic planning: 'What would have to be true for this to work?' then 'What evidence supports that?'

Team development: 'What did we learn from that experience?' followed by 'How might we apply that learning?'

Pro tip

Ask one deep question, then wait. Let silence do the work of thinking.

Questions & answers

3 questions

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Audio examples

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Audio Examples

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