Answer the Question 2

[CajunCenturion]

How many times have you asked a question, and received a wonderful reply, but not an answer to the question?

How many times have you rambled off words in response, but didn’t answer the question?

Is answering the question not a key aspect of effective communication?

Good Luck
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As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[sleipnir214]

I think that answering the question posed is not necessarily a key aspect of effective communication.

It is possible, for example, that the question itself is phrased in such a way that the answerer gains insight into gaps in knowledge on the part of the questioner. Answering the question behind the question may be more effective than answering the original question itself.

There're also techniques like the Socratic Method, where the person looking for knowledge answers questions, not asks them.

Want the best answers? Ask the best questions!

TANSTAAFL!!

 

[SQLSister]

Cajun, clearly you've been listening to politicians who are masters at not answering the question.

In technical terms though, it is especially annoying if the answer does not seem to match your question. However, there are many valid reasons why this might happen.

First, the question you thought asked and the question I thought you asked may not be the same. Therefore my answer may seem odd to you. A strange answer often indicates that the original question may need rephrasing.

Second, I may be trying to teach you something you need to know first before the question can be answered or give you the tools to find the answer yourself.

Third, sometimes the answer you want is not possible, so you get an answer which takes you in a different direction. A case in point is when someone asks how to add a parameter to a view - something that you cannot do in SQL Server directly. So the answer of create a stored procedure may seem off the subject to you, the person with the question, but is actually technically correct.

It can be very effective communication to not answer the question if your intent is to divert attention from the question itself. (Why do you think politicians do this?) So you ask your boss when he's going to do your review so you can get a raise and he changes the subject to the problem in the XYZ project. Hasn't he effectively communicated to you that now isn't a good time to ask for a raise?

 

[CajunCenturion]

It is certainly possible that the question needs rephrasing, but it is equally possible that the responder interpretation is faulty. In either event, the issue in this case is not answering the question, but understanding the question.

In your second example, you, as the responder, are assuming a role that may not be appropriate for you to assume. You in effect are interjecting your own agenda into the conversation, and whereas that may be beneficial in the long run, it may not be the best short-term course of action.

The third case certainly happens often, especially in the technical circles in which we travel, but I’m not sure that precludes answering the question, although it does beg for an explanation as to why it is was answered the way it was.

I’m not sure that the boss has effectively communicated that now is not a good time to address the raise issue. By not providing a reason for ignoring the question, any speculation as to why is simply speculation. Politicians are experts at not answering questions. Perhaps that’s why we share so much trust for them. The boss, by not saying for example, “Now is not a good time to discuss the review/raise, but let’s turn our attention to issue X,” has joined the “politician” category.

In any case, glad to at least have a dialogue started.

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[SQLSister]

While it true that my interpretation of your question may be off, the only way I can know that is if you as the questioner rephrases the question.

Responsibility for ensuring effective communication rests on both parties. If someone finds that he or she is not getting the answers needed, then it is his or her responsibility to find out why and correct the communication problem. If it is clear from further communication that your answer was not understood, then you have the responsibility to try to explain in a different way if you still feel a need to help the person.

One way in which people get stuck in communication problems is when neither side is willing to rephrase and just repeats the same question and answer. To get different results, you need to do something different.

 

[sleipnir214]

I'd say the boss' directing the subject from review/raise is a very good example of an ineffective communication.

He hasn't stated explicitly what he means. And inference could lead one to the conclusions "now's not a good time to ask for a raise", "projectXYZ is very important to the boss" and "That tightwad never wants to talk raises". That ambiguity seems to me by definition an example of ineffective communication.

Want the best answers? Ask the best questions!

TANSTAAFL!!

 

[SQLSister]

It might be ineffective from the point of view of the employee, but from the boss' point of view, he didn't have to schedule something he didn't want to do, so it was an effective technique.

Granted, I prefer not to use this technique as it is effective over the short-run, but not the long run when you need to have a continuing relationship with people. That doesn't make it ineffective for the immediate purpose of the communicator.

 

[sleipnir214]

But if the two participants in a communicative act disagree wildly on the interpretation of the information transmitted between them, how can the communication be effective?

I'll agree it could be effective delaying technique for the boss -- depending on whether I bring up the subject of my review/raise after we're done talking about projectXYZ. But an effective communication it is not.

Want the best answers? Ask the best questions!

TANSTAAFL!!

 

[CajunCenturion]

Responsibility for ensuring effective communication rests on both parties.

The boss's communication has left one party out of the picture.

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[rosieb]

Responsibility for ensuring effective communication rests on both parties.

Ideally, yes. (Utopia here we come, ... )

But in practice, it is the responsibility of the manager to ensure effective communication. S/he's paid for that.

[It is often an forgotten obligation, of the staff, that they too must engage in this communication.]

This all implies trust by both parties.

 

[edfair]

In technical discussions judgement decisions have to be made by both sides, both in the asking, and in the answering. If I, as answerer, mininterpret the knowledge level of the person asking the question, based on the way they phrase the question, it is likely that my answer is going to be inadequate. It is up to the asking party to request clarification. The communications problem, as I see it, is the refusal to follow through on the part of the asker, from fear of being found lacking in technical knowledge.

Somewhat like the standing joke about the lost helicopter pilot and the Microsoft employee.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[GlenJohnson]

I have found in the past the major problem to helping people in posts is that the question isn't complete enough to awnser or the project isn't spelled out correctly. I've also seen this problem in the real world. BOSS: I need you to install this new software on the server and get the users to use it.
Of couse, he doesn't mention that he did no research on the software, it's designed for Novell, (Which is all he knows), while we're running W2K network, pure and simple, and the users have no use for the software. (This is not a joke, it happened to me.)

Glen A. Johnson
If you're from Northern Illinois/Southern Wisconsin check out Tek-Tips in Chicago, Illinois Forum.

TTinChicago

 

[Marcs41]

Now THAT brings back old memories!
Several years back I was 'ordered' by a temp. consultant (go figure), to install a software on, back then, Windows 95. The software in question was for MAC.
When I refused, being in charge of the companies standards, I almost got fired over it.
At the time, that was no joke either!

Marc

Marc
[sub]If 'something' 'somewhere' gives 'some' error, expect random guesses or no replies at all. Please specify details.
Free Tip: The F1 Key does NOT destroy your PC![/sub]
How Do I Get Great Answers To my Tek-Tips Questions? See faq219-2884

 

[mattKnight]

I'd say the boss' directing the subject from review/raise is a very good example of an ineffective communication.

He hasn't stated explicitly what he means. <snip>

Doesn't that say something more about peoples' non-verbal communication skills?

The boss has implied by their change of subject that "now is not a good time to talk about raises"



Take Care

Matt
If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.

 

[TonyJollans]

This thread seems to be covering different types of question, requiring different types of answer.

The employee - manager question about reviews and raises is, of necessity, a one-on-one communication between people who know each other and, although there may be a lot of history in the personal relationship and undertones running through it, the question is a very simple one. The corollary is that the manager is more or less forced to respond in some way; he can't simply ignore the question.

Posing a technical question in a forum involves communication with the (unknown) outside world and requires a much greater degree of precision. For various reasons this precision is often lacking and a dialogue must be entered into in order to determine what the answer should be. No-one is forced to answer and the question can be ignored; it is not necessary to 'change the subject'.

On a couple of occasions I have started to write a question to post here and found that formulating it has imposed a clarity of thought which has led me to the answer without the need to pose the question. Similarly, I'm sure all of us here have sat down at a desk and been led through someone else's problem until the point where they, themselves, have realised what is wrong, and all we've had to be is listen.

Each time we respond to a question here we are making complex judgements about the question and the questioner and we respond, or not, in different ways at different times; we choose whether or not to enter into communication but its effectiveness is not entirely under our own control. That is very different from the work situation where we may be forced to communicate although, again, its effectiveness is not always under our control.

Enjoy,
Tony

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We want to help you; help us to do it by reading this: Before you ask a question.

 

[SQLSister]

Found this link on another bulletin board and I thought I'd share.

http://www.proft.org/tips/conv-terror.html

 

[rosieb]

SQLSister

Nice link - I can use that!

 

[SQLSister]

Thank my buddies on the Firefly board for the link; I just passed it along to them as could use it. (Oops, I'm channelling Cap'n Tightpants again. I meant: I just passed it along to anyone who could use it.)

 

[bcastner]

SQLSister, a very nice find.
Thanks.

 

[GlenJohnson]

Fabulous SQLSister.


Glen A. Johnson
If you're from Northern Illinois/Southern Wisconsin check out Tek-Tips in Chicago, Illinois Forum.

TTinChicago