Change Your Questions, Change Your Life, 4th Edition: 12 Powerful Tools for Leadership, Coaching, and Results (Inquiry Institute Library Series)

Voltaire once said, "Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers." I suspect that we all underestimate the importance of asking the right questions at the right time. Change Your Questions Change Your Life will give you a new and much better perspective on asking questions.The book starts with a story about Ben, the answer man. He has just been hired into a management position largely on his previous history of having all the right answers. But his tendency to try and have all the answers actually works against him in his new leadership position. Fortunately his boss has the knowledge and experience to recognize that he needs to learn new skills and sets him up with a coach who teaches him to change his questions.The story is very interesting and easy to read. It really bring home the point that we ask internal and external questions and the quality of those questions in large part determines the quality of our lives. When you ask the wrong questions, you will get the wrong answers. Ben was exceptionally skilled at asking the wrong questions. But fortunately with the help of his coach he quickly learns to ask better questions.In the book Marilee Adams, the author, says we generally live in one of two modes - judger or learner. In the judger mode, we are judgmental - judging ourselves or others, asking what's wrong, who's to blame, how can I prove I'm right. In the learner mode we are curious asking questions - what do I want, what works, what are my choices? She says we are all recovering judgers.After Ben's story, the book gives us a section Ten Tools of Question Thinking. Here is a very powerful and easy to apply series of question tools for learning to ask better questions. One of my favorite tools is the switching questions. When we realize that we are in judger mode, asking switching questions can immediately switch from judger mode to learner mode.There is a handy and very helpful illustrated Choice Map in the book which shows the Learner Path and the Judger Path. It also shows that even when we start down the Judger Path, we can always take the switch path to get back to the Learner Path. There is also a link to download a copy of the Choice Map.This is a very well written book. The concepts are extremely easy to understand. You can immediately grasp the concepts. The questions are actionable - you can put them to use immediately.This book truly has the power to change your life. You must be open to learning the concepts. You must be willing to give up your judger mindset.This is also an excellent coaching tool. You will be able to immediately add and implement these questions and concepts to your coaching toolkit.

I love how the author of this book uses story telling to teach about mindsets and their affect on everything we do in our lives. The story is about Ben, who has just been promoted to a new job where he’s the head of a team. He is also recently married. As the story begins, we see how his present mindset is limiting his ability to advance in this new position and is also affecting his relationship with his wife Grace. Things are bad enough at work that he is thinking about resigning, and is very worried what Grace will think, if he does. Everything changes for him when his boss introduces him to Joseph, an executive coach. Throughout the story, both Ben and reader learn to apply Joseph’s Question Thinking tools. These tools and principals allow us to ask ourselves new kinds of questions to switch from Judger mindsets, which limit our thinking, to Learner mindsets that open our minds to new possibilities and more cooperative ways of working together. The book isn’t limited to work situations but shows how it applies with families and friends. What i really like about the book is that it has plenty of practical guidelines and tips, including the Choice Map which brings everything together in one crystal clear image that makes the ideas of the book easy to remember and apply in everyday life. This is a very timely book at a period when it is so important to develop peaceful ways to relate to each other and our planet.

What struck me immediately occurs in her introduction on page seven. Here Dr. Adams speaks her vision of and commitment to making a difference for each of us in how we can, right here and right now, begin to create a new future grounded in exploration, discovery, innovation, and cooperation. This theme is developed throughout the delightful (and easy to read) narrative of Ben's transformation to becoming a question thinker.In chapter one, I was again struck (shocked) by finding in myself, Ben's internal judger reaction thoughts. Later, as the character of Joseph becomes alive with his wisdom of meaningful personal coaching, I was moved to consider "What might our lives be like if we each had a personal coach like Joseph?" Guess what, Marilee's work gives us just that insight and the how-to skills to operationalize question thinking on a moment-to-moment basis.Another thing that tickled me was the wife of the character Ben who immediately sees the value and possibility of the Choice Map, takes it to work with her and begins to apply it. Ben was still stuck in his Judger perspective. Interesting!Within one year of my first reading this book, I participated in several teleseminars by Dr. Adams, enrolled in the Q-Storming® certification program, presented workshops about Question Thinking(tm) and Q-Storming® at non-profit organizations, transformed the manner in which I design, develop, and facilitate courses for doctoral learners, and shared question thinking concepts with dozens of colleagues. Talk about changing your life!Feedback I get from smiling faces and hearts of those who read and apply new thinking found in Change Your Questions, Change Your Life is extraordinary!What Dr. Adams offers as her gift to us each is a simple process for choosing differently in our questions and our thinking, and thus accelerating our personal journey in life.My heartfelt thanks to Dr. Marilee Adams for her generosity and caring! Craig Barton, Ph.D., P.E.

One amazing story that not only explains the importance of understanding our mindsets, it also gives great tools to make the journey easier.. amazing!

Ci sono degli spunti sul.potete trasfornativo delle domande ma ho trovato il libro pesante e ripetitivo Il tutto poteva essere racchiuso in meno pagine. Secondo me povero per un professionista adatto a chi non è del settore

Great packaging. Among the best I have seen in the books bought on Amazon.

Great book. Helps to ask powerful questions

The title of this book is not overstated. Learning to ask genuine questions is one of the most positive things a leader can do to change their relationship with the world around them.Marilee Adams‘ book is about how our mindset is determined by the questions we ask. It explains why some questions create breakthroughs and inspire change and innovation whereas others lead to stagnation and demoralization. According to Adams the difference lies in whether you ask “Learner Questions” or “Judger Questions”.“Learner Questions” are creative, open-minded, and curious questions which promote progress and possibilities. They typically lead to discoveries, understanding, and solutions. They facilitate progress by expanding options.“Judger Questions” are more closed-minded and critical. They focus on problems rather than solutions and often lead to negativity and defensive reactions. They impede progress by limiting perspectives.I recommend this book to people in leadership roles as the ideas discussed are very relevant and applicable if you want to guide or coach others. The tools Adams provides include helpful charts, including her “Choice Map”, and a “12 Powerful Tools” chapter at the end that summarizes the main takeaways from the book.