Asking Not Why — But What And When

Asking not Why — but What and When

Did you know that powerful connections with your clients, patients, students, and care providers begin with how we ask questions? As providers, our communication matters—not only in what we say but also in how we say it. Communication is also embedded in how we receive what was said. We can’t provide effective communication tools if we don’t know our partner’s communication profile. They know their own communication and needs—and they can teach you those needs if you let them!

Ask questions to find out how language fits into their day-to-day—rather than telling them what their day-to-day should look like. Being thoughtful about how you ask your questions creates authentic connections and leads to better outcomes.

Let's start here:

TRY	AVOID
Asking open-ended questions	Asking yes/no questions
Restating exact words	Paraphrasing
Stopping to summarize	Waiting to summarize
Asking questions one at a time	Asking multi-step/multi-part questions
Following with questions	Asking leading questions
Using what, who, and when questions	Using why questions

Go to ASHa’s Practice Portal page on Cultural Responsiveness for more information on how to collect case histories and conduct an ethnographic interview.