THREE LEVEL QUESTIONING TECHNIQUE

This is a model for questioning which will enable you to get a better understanding of real concerns and issues, and of beliefs and values.

As we go through life we are subjected to many experiences, each building on the other. It is as if we build our own personal hill or vantage point from which we view the world. So I stand on my hilltop, you stand on yours; our experiences will have been different and so our hilltops will be too. When we look at something, although the thing itself may be the same our perspective may be different, it may look different to each of us. Neither perspective can be weighed against the other to decide one is right and the other is wrong. It is my perspective and is right to me; yours is yours and therefore right to you.

There are classic ways of defining questioning technique; open, closed etc. Here we are going to look at levels of open questions; the levels relating to how far the response will take us up to the other person's hilltop.

Questions are simple data gathering questions, relatively easy to answer, and which do not require a high level of entry, rapport and trust to be answered.

Questions probe further. They want to know why we do things, what interests us about things, what value we place on things, what things mean to us, the implication. These need more thought and require a higher level of entry and trust; we are starting to talk about what we think and feel about things.

Questions move to our hilltop. They want to know why we feel about things the way we do, why things concern us, and why they are important to us. These need the highest level of trust and often require a considerable degree of thought because we do not usually think about why we value things.