The Optometric Management 2021 “Q&A” survey yielded more than 500 responses. In this issue of OM, expert contributors provide answers to many of the respondents’ questions. (See “Keep the Questions Coming,” p.16, for more survey information.) Let me thank our readers, contributors, the OM team and industry supporters, all of whom make this issue possible.

IT’S OFTEN ABOUT THE QUESTION

Much of this issue is devoted to answers, yet asking the right questions is a skill that cannot be understated. For example, the ability to get the correct information from patients, from lifestyle issues to compliance with therapies, often depends on exactly what is asked and how it is asked.

Questions can improve our teams as well. “Questioning is a uniquely powerful tool for unlocking value in organizations: It spurs learning and the exchange of ideas, it fuels innovation and performance improvement, it builds rapport and trust among team members,” Profs. Alison Wood Brooks and Leslie K. Johns write in the Harvard Business Review article, “The Surprising Power of Questions.” And questions may allow for other opportunities. For example, the authors cite a study showing speed daters were more willing to go on a second date with those who asked more questions.

Effective business skills also depend on asking questions that continue interactions and identify mutual interests. For instance, open-ended questions, such as, “With a hectic schedule, how do you stay physically fit?” can help reveal the other party’s understanding and feelings about a subject, vs. the question, “Do you want to buy this exercise machine?” which can elicit an answer such as “no” that can end the conversation.

Additionally, questions can help shape future behavior, reports the Fast Company article, “Want to Know What Your Brain Does When It Hears a Question?” by CEO, sales trainer and author David Hoffeld. Several studies presented show that when people were asked about certain behaviors, such as buying cars, voting or donating blood, those behaviors increased.

Finally, experts tell us that a question answered often inspires more questions, some of which are often more interesting to ponder than the original question. So please, keep the questions coming. OM