Great consultants are defined by having the right questions. We often think expertise comes from having all the answers, but the best consultants, journalists, and interviewers all point to a different superpower: asking thoughtful questions.
To be better at asking questions myself, I took on the task of interviewing a few leaders in the industry when it comes to this topic: Foodservice Consultant contributor Amelia Levin and editor Tina Nielsen along with fellow consultant Karen Malody FFCSI. What was amazing throughout the process is that it turned out to be a coaching session. Here is what I learned from my conversations with them:
Curiosity before expertise
- Enter conversations to learn – not to prove what we know. It is easy to get caught up in our own self-image of being an expert. Ask questions to understand others’ experiences and knowledge.
- Avoid assumptions. Genuine curiosity builds trust and we can’t fake curiosity.
- Research enough to be prepared, but not so much that we stop listening.
- Malody suggests adopting a frame of mind that asks for more information. For example: “Explain it like I’m a kid. I don’t understand – help me to understand.”
Taking the temperature and creating safety
- Understand what people are feeling and where their head is before asking questions. Check people’s emotions before asking questions.
- People rarely tell you the important things until they feel comfortable. It’s important to read the room.
- Conversation before interrogation. Don’t ask too many questions – open ended questions are great, but too many can feel like an attack.
- Maybe one-on-one conversations are needed instead of just a group setting where people don’t feel comfortable answering truthfully with their boss there.
Great questions are open, purposeful and simple
The characteristics of a good question include the following:
- Open-ended.
- One question at a time.
- Neutral wording.
- Have a clear purpose.
- Broad enough to invite discussion.
But it is important that you also avoid the following:
- Yes/no questions.
- Asking three questions at once.
- Asking leading questions
- Questions that showcase your own knowledge.
- Sometimes you need to ask certain questions to not look a know-it-all.
Listen longer than feels comfortable
Talk less and don’t interrupt. The first answer is rarely the whole answer. You need to keep digging and ask follow-up questions.
Preparation matters – but presence matters more
- Research enough to respect the person.
- Don’t become so scripted that you stop hearing new information.
- Questions are a launchpad, not a checklist.
- Expect the unexpected in questions and be ready to
dig deeper. - If you send questions ahead of the meeting, be open to adaption and set the bigger picture rather than the granular:
- Send themes versus scripted questions.
- Tailor questions to the audience.
- Stay flexible enough to wander down sidetracks during the conversation if that’s where it takes you
Questions reveal more than problems
Great consultants use questions to uncover:
- Values
- Culture
- Politics
- Innovation
- Pain points
- Hidden assumptions
- What success really means
- Move beyond:
“What do you need?” - Toward:
“What isn’t working?”
“What do you wish people understood?”
“What would success actually look like?”
A final note on AI, which is no doubt a powerful tool that is changing our industry, and will continue to do so in ways we don’t completely understand just yet. While AI produces information, it is humans who can create trust and understanding, for now at least. Curiosity, empathy, intuition, and follow-up cannot be automated. We don’t know exactly how AI is going to impact the design industry, but the future belongs to consultants who ask better questions, not just better prompts. The quality of a consultant isn’t measured by how quickly they provide solutions. It’s measured by how effectively they help clients discover problems they didn’t know they had. Great questions don’t just gather information, they build trust, uncover truth, and create better outcomes.
Tarah Schroeder FCSI is the managing principal and COO of Ricca Design Studios.
