What is meant by open questions

An important part of asking good questions is to know the right type of question to ask at the right time. There are two big types of questions:

• Closed questions are those which can be answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response - for example, ‘Is that…’ or ‘Did…’. Other questions like ‘when’ and ‘who’ often tend to get a short factual answer only.
• Open questions are those that cannot be answered with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response. They tend to start with the bigger question words like ‘what’, ‘why’, and ‘how’ which give the speaker more space to expand on their ideas and answers.  

For example:

• Open question: “What do you think could be improved?” (Encourages ideas and discussion.)
• Closed question: “Do you think this should be improved?” (Can be answered with a simple yes or no.)

Both types of questions are important and useful in different situations.

Why and when open questions are helpful

There are times when open or closed questions are better:

• Closed questions are useful for confirming or denying facts. However, they are not good at expanding conversations further. 
• Open questions are useful for broadening out a conversation, showing an interest in the speaker, and learning about new things that you might not have thought to directly ask about. However, sometimes they allow the speaker to avoid giving information that they don’t wish to. 

It is possible to combine a closed question with an open question to extend the conversation further too. For example, ‘did you consider doing that, and how did you make your decision?’ or ‘do you like this, and why?’

How to use open questions effectively 

To communicate well, it is helpful to use both types of questions in the right situations.

Open questions often start with ‘What’, ‘How’, or ‘Why’ and invite the speaker to explain their ideas. These types of questions help you learn more about their thoughts and feelings.

Use open questions to:

• Start a discussion: ‘What do you think about this idea?’
• Understand someone’s experience: ‘How did you handle that challenge?’
• Encourage creative thinking: ‘What are some possible solutions?’
• Learn more about a topic: ‘Why do you think that happened?’

Use closed questions to:

• Confirm facts: ‘Did you finish the task?’
• Get a quick answer: ‘Do you agree with this?’
• Clarify a choice: ‘Would you prefer option A or B?’
• Check for understanding: ‘Is that clear?’

A good balance of both open and closed questions helps conversations flow naturally and ensures that you get useful information. Asking the right type of question at the right time can improve teamwork, problem-solving, and understanding.