Framing Questions
By creating your own effective framing questions – those that elicit open, insightful and honest communication – you will make the most effective use of your Visual Story Cards. Good framing questions speak directly and honestly to the issues the participants care about, and encourage them to share their unique perspectives and experiences.
Reflect On Your Question(s)
• Is this question relevant to the real life and real work of the participants?
• Is this a genuine question?
• What “work” do I want this question to do? What kind of conversations, meanings, and feelings do I imagine this question will evoke?
• Is this question likely to generate hope, imagination, engagement, creative action, and new possibilities?
Sample Framing Questions
These sample questions help to stimulate new knowledge and creative thinking in a variety of situations. Here are some of the framing questions I use:
• What’s important to you? Why do you care?
• What opportunities can you see?
• What’s emerging for you?
• What new connections are you making?
• What had real meaning for you from what you heard?
• What surprised you?
• What challenged you?
• What’s missing? What do we need more clarity about?
• What’s been your/our major learning, insight, or discovery so far?
• What’s the next level of thinking we need to do?
• What would it take to create change?
• What do you need to feel fully engaged and energized?
• What unique contribution can you make?
• What are you most passionate about?