C

hange Tools…
Tool: 3-Level Questioning Technique

What is it?

This is a technique to help draw more information out of people by using a structured approach to open questions. Open questions are ones that require more than a simple Yes/No answer (which are referred to as closed questions).

The 3-Level question technique is about listening. It can help us hear what a person is really saying when they are in full flow and telling us about things, or it can guide us in how we ask our questions so that we get a better understanding of someone else’s perspective.

The technique is based on the idea that how something looks and feels to each of us depends on our perspective, and that our perspective is likely to be unique and is the product of our views, beliefs and experiences. By asking three different types – or levels – of question we can build up our understanding of someone else’s unique perspective:

Level 1 Data The ‘facts’ as they appear to the other person

Level 2 Meaning What these facts mean to the other person

Level 3 Values Why does the other person feel this way

As we move through the levels, an increasing degree of rapport and trust is needed because we are moving from a discussion of simple data through how a person feels about it to finally probing what values or attitudes lie behind their response.

Read more about this tool and download the full PDF version:
http://www.changetoolkit.org.uk/change-toolkit/gain-entry/