…with Gary Moss

There are no bad questions. There are better questions. The value of any question is directly proportional to the level of understanding of the asker, in regard to the problem at-hand, and the response that it draws from the respondent.

Questions are tools that pry open understanding. The perfect question results with a resounding ‘aha’.

Some of my most frustrating times in life came at times when I didn’t know the questions to ask. I plowed through those times by admitting that to my teacher, and asking what I should be asking. Once the flow of conversation begins, I have discovered that a stream of questions emerge at warp speed.

The trick then becomes to listen and hear the answers as new questions are simultaneously streaming in your brain.

There is no value in asking good questions if you are not a good listener and a critical listener.

You must always be willing to be a little embarrassed by admitting, “I didn’t get that”, and ask for a repeat – or – “could you explain that differently?”

When I was a high school student, I didn’t want to ‘look bad’ in front of my friends. I sat quietly in Advanced Algebra and didn’t ask questions. As a result, I scored poorly on the tests and nearly flunked the class. As an adult, I have discovered my mathematical prowess and regret that I allowed my pride to get in the way of my success as a teenager. Oh well.

Equally important to your ‘question’ is who you are addressing that question to. Frequently at scrabble clubs I witness newbies asking critical questions about playing the game of other players. Sometimes they get good answers. Other times they get poor answers that lead to problems later on.

If you are going to ask a question, ask an expert; ask the director.

Experts are not perfect either. I was recently in a computer store, seeking some help. I had a clear understand of my problem and needed a single bit of advice. The creative that was assigned to help me new less about my circumstance than me, but was bent on redesigning my entire project. I stood firm and asked to speak to another creative. It wasn’t until the third person arrived that I got the help I required. The first two creatives ended up thanking me, because they had learned something new from me and my question.

I will answer most if not all of your scrabble related questions in my online class, SCRABBLE 101. Check it out by CLICKING HERE.