This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking" by Edward B. Burger and Michael Starbird. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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When you’re solving a problem, what are the most effective questions to ask? How can you make sure you’re thinking in the right direction?
The right questions are the ones that give you a relevant foundation and point you in a helpful direction. In The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking, Edward B. Burger and Michael Starbird discuss the importance of asking the right questions and explain what makes them effective.
Keep reading to learn how to ask the right questions to guide your thinking toward your next most important idea.
Ask the Right Questions
The authors recommend that you ask plenty of questions to challenge your current understanding of a topic. This will help you strengthen your foundational knowledge because it expands your thinking, opening you to new insights about what you already know (or think you know).
Questioning is more productive when it’s focused in the right direction. Identifying the essence of what you’re trying to learn gives you a foundation from which to continue your exploration.
Therefore, the authors advise that you try to find the most effective questions. They should be clear and actionable, demonstrate where you need to put your focus, and identify the root of what you’re trying to learn. Knowing how to ask the right questions will help you reveal what kind of misunderstanding you’re facing. Is it a problem you don’t know the answer to, or do you even know what problem you’re trying to address?
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Here's what you'll find in our full The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking summary:
- The 5 principles for learning to think effectively
- What it means to learn beyond memorizing
- Why you need to be willing to change if you want to learn
