Sample Open-Ended Questions

For Managers & Leaders to Explore Issues at Work

Around here, we focus on workplace issues - usually, we directly work with our clients on resolving conflict. However, we also get called on to use these stellar conflict resolution skills in building consensus more generally and facilitating workshops.

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting with a group of nonprofit Executive Directors. We spoke about how to handle staff conflicts to which these leaders are observers - and they need the staff to figure things out on their own, but they also want to be kept informed and to help staff feel supported.

We reviewed a few scenarios the group had dealt with in the past, and in the end I was asked for even more advice related to open-ended questions a leader could use to better understand a situation from the perspective of their team members.

So, here’s a list!

Open-Ended Questions: A List

• From your point of view, what happened?

• From your point of view, what would the goal be?

• How do you feel about that? / How did that make you feel?

• What do you think about that? / What did you think when that happened?

• What would happen if…?

• How might we together …?

• How might you express that to the other person?

• What might you say to tell _ what you’re describing to me?

• What do you hope happens?

• What else should I know?

• What do you wish they knew? / What do you wish they’d do?

• What do you think of what happened?

• I’m curious, thinking back now about what happened, what might you have done differently?

• What’s your goal with these behaviors?

• What do you think their goal might be?

• What would happen if __?

• How might you respond if __?

• What happened next?

• What were you thinking about when you ? / What were you thinking about when they __?

• How did the group respond?

• How might I help you and (the other person) through this?

• How might I support you?

• What might I do to help the two of you resolve this?

• What would be helpful, so that the two of you can resolve this?

• Where do you see yourself _? (next week, in 6 months, etc.)

• Where would you like to be when that happens?

• What do you think might be a way everyone wins?

• How might we resolve this so you’re both happy?

• I think I heard you say __. Would you tell me more about that?

• I’m curious about __.

• I’m curious about why you __.

• Tell me more.