Critical Thinking Questions for Team-Building Activities

Stop nodding along in meetings. Start having impact: Too often, meetings are filled with phrases like: ❌ “That sounds great” ❌ “Let’s table it for another time” ❌ “Let’s circle back when we have more info” From 10 years in high performing teams, here’s what I’ve learnt about meetings: Top performers aren’t afraid to ask the hard questions. Here are 13 questions you can ask to leave a mark: 1/ "What do we have to deprioritize to do this well?" ↳ Use to help create focus. ↳ Shows you understand we can't do everything at once. 2/ "What happens if we do nothing?" ↳ Use to overcome inertia. ↳ Helps identify true priorities. 3/ "Who's done this well that we could learn from?" ↳ Use when projects have been done before. ↳ Shows you want to use others’ learnings. 4/ "What's the simplest way to explain this?" ↳ Use to create clarity. ↳ Shows you understand the importance of simplicity. 5/ "What went wrong last time?" ↳ Use when repeating past initiatives. ↳ Shows you want to learn from experience. 6/ "How will we know if this is working?" ↳ Use when success isn't clearly defined. ↳ Shows you care about real results. 7/ "Who's going to own each workstream?" ↳ Use when responsibilities are unclear. ↳ Prevents the "someone else will do it" problem. 8/ "How does this affect our current priorities?" ↳ Use when new work might disrupt current priorities. ↳ Shows you're thinking about the whole picture. 9/ "Who might we upset by this choice?" ↳ Use when changes could impact others. ↳ Shows you consider how others might feel. 10/ "If we had half the budget, how would we do this?" ↳ Use to find creative solutions. ↳ Shows you can spark new ideas. 11/ "What aren't we seeing here?" ↳ Use when consensus comes too easily. ↳ Shows you look at problems from all angles. 12/ "How does this help us reach our primary goals?" ↳ Use when projects drift from objectives. ↳ Makes sure we're not getting sidetracked. 13/ "What's our plan for the worst-case scenario?" ↳ Use when planning risky initiatives. ↳ Shows you think ahead. Remember: Impact can from asking the right questions. You don't have to be the smartest one in the room. Just ask the questions that make others think differently. P.S. Which of these will you use in your next meeting? — ♻ Repost to inspire your network to have more impact at work. ➕ Follow me (Will McTighe) for more like this.

Weak questions bore brains. Let’s crank the voltage. Afraid to dig deep? Let sharper queries unravel. By the end of this post, you’ll have a toolkit to ask questions that spark curiosity, reveal hidden opportunities, and guide conversations like a master negotiator. After years in negotiation, I’ve learned that asking the right questions isn’t just an art—they’re a game-changer. Here are 5 types of questions to elevate any conversation: 𝟭. 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 📌 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲: Dig deep. Understand the big picture. 🛠️ 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵: Use open-ended “what,” “how,” or “why” questions to encourage free sharing. 💡 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱?” 𝟮. 𝗖𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 📌 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲: Reveal patterns and relationships. 🛠️ 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵: Ask how people, ideas, or events influence each other. 💡 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: “𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯-𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺?” 𝟯. 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 📌 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲: Inspire self-awareness and critical thinking. 🛠️ 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵: Gently challenge assumptions and help connect actions to outcomes. 💡 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦?” 𝟰. 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 📌 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲: Unlock creativity and spark innovation. 🛠️ 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵: Ask forward-looking or “what if” questions to inspire out-of-the-box thinking. 💡 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘸𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦?” 𝟱. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 📌 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲: Align actions with long-term goals. 🛠️ 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵: Focus on weighing options and balancing risks and rewards. 💡 𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: “𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨-𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳?” Great questions aren’t random—they’re your most powerful tools for influence, innovation, and clarity. Master them, and you’ll master the room. What’s one question you’ve asked that completely changed a conversation? Drop it below—I’d love to learn from you. (𝘗.𝘚. 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘸𝘬𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳!)

Forget "fake it till you make it." It's time to embrace "ask it till you grasp it." The most powerful tool in your leadership toolkit? Asking seemingly simple questions. Throughout my career, I've noticed a paradox: The most effective leaders often ask great questions that guide the team, rather than solely giving direction. They're not afraid to ask questions that might make them appear less knowledgeable. What these leaders understand is that asking questions is the key to effective communication. It opens dialogues, clarifies understanding, and builds stronger connections. ---5 Simple Questions to Start Using--- 🔸"Can you explain that as if I'm new to this topic?" (Ensures clear communication, reveals assumptions) 🔸"What if our current approach is incorrect?" (Challenges assumptions, prevents groupthink) 🔸"Why do we do it this way?" (Questions status quo, sparks innovation) 🔸"What am I missing here?" (Acknowledges blind spots, invites diverse viewpoints) 🔸"How can I be less of a bottleneck?" (Demonstrates self-awareness, empowers team) The catch? It can feel uncomfortable at first.   ----The beauty of this simple action---- 🔹Simple questions get everyone on the same page quickly 🔹Simple approaches are easier to communicate and replicate 🔹Simplicity cuts through complexity, leading to clearer insights 🔹Simple questions (like these) are more likely to be tried and tested   Your job is to create an environment where smart ideas can emerge from anyone. Your challenge: This week, ask the simplest, most fundamental question you can think of in your next team meeting. What's the most basic question you've asked that led to a breakthrough?