The "I" Word and Socrates' Ghost

Kellie Wardman, Resource Director for the Association Resources department of the YMCA of the USA, gave a presentation on July 19, 2007. Her topic involved describing the work of human performance as a consultant within local YMCA leadership persons and teams. And to be clear, she brought up Socrates precisely zero times. His name was not mentioned. His methods were not called out by name. However, a consultant's ability to influence others without exerting force was said to be the crux of a consultant's job. It was also made clear that this task requires much patience. One client took ten years to realize that the advice to make a long-term financial plan was necessary. I can't help but think authoritativeness influence might sometimes feel more like a curse word than a powerful virtue. However, given the current architectural structure of some business models and the nature of humanity, I believe it is often critical to exert influence like water wearing a path through the rock rather than risk the collateral damage that occurs with a stick of dynamite. More than one skill was mentioned as necessary for effective influence. However, one of them was the ability to formulate practical questions.

First, the avoidance of closed-ended questions was emphasized. She specifically stated a questions such as "Don't you think it would be better if the board joined us for this meeting?" usually produced unsatisfactory results. I am sure this is true. First, this question comes across as rhetorical in a consultant's role. Anyone on the receiving end understands that what is meant by such a question is, "You need to have the board join us for this meeting." And because it is so well known that this is the true intent, it comes across as disingenuous and condescending.

Another pain point of a question like this is that it jumps to the conclusion rather than inviting the client into a line of thinking that will more effectively identify system gaps and design bridges to close them. In Wardman's opinion, using open-ended questions designed to help the client see the landscape more clearly for him or herself was a superior means of influence over the long haul.

While listening to Wardaman speak, I couldn't help but feel the presence of other conversations I have been involved in, namely discussions about a man famous for using a line of questioning to teach logic. That person is Socrates. Socrates lived from 470 BCE - 399 BCE in Athens, Greece. In the education world, he is well known for using well-formulated, open-ended questions to lead others (as well as himself) through the pitfalls of fallacious thinking. Socrates' influence did not remain relegated to his own time. According to the editors of the Britannica Encyclopedia, he is considered to have had a profound impact on ancient and modern philosophy (2021). Niel Mattheson brings up Socrates in his conference paper entitled. "Socratic Dialogue in Design Education." In his article, he states the following:

"The Socratic Method in Design allows students to develop a systematic approach to developing new insights and inner understandings. This approach does not provide practical answers but allows the learner a framework to help them discover how to find the answer."

This sentiment aligns with Wardman's mention that sometimes she does too much for smaller organizations and that the "help" doesn't enable them to work through their situation and develop solutions themselves. However, formulating questions that guide them through the entire process is more helpful in the long run. As a result of hearing this, I felt the spirit of Socrates rise before me. I was filled with questions:

1. Is my ability to formulate questions expertly enough to influence others who do not have to listen to me?

2. How might I develop these skills?

3. What do I already know about formulating questions through my teaching experience upon which I can capitalize?

4. What role does organizational context play in indicating what questions might be most effective?

5. How might I think through a problem with a solid thinking line to adequately respond when challenged?

6. What questions might my future clients need, and how can I ask them in a way they can hear and process?

Influence, without force, may be the single most potent ability a consultant in any field could have. I believe that the field of learning design is no exception. I also think that challenging myself with questions will best prepare me to support my clients in ways that will help them over the long run rather than provide a quick fix that doesn't last. This realization has inspired me to seek out materials that discuss Socratic ideas in the context of modern organizations, such as Matthiessen, N. (2011). Through Socratic Dialogue in Design Education, I find that, at least within Google Scholar, Socrates is still quite influential. And his ideas are being applied within the context of modern systems and strategies. From over 300 BCE to today, his thoughts still seem relevant and influential. And whether he was mentioned or not, the questions of Socrates were there in Wardman's speech; they danced almost imperceptibly behind her words and stories. I have been influenced in such a way that I have already begun to explore ways to inspire and influence through improved question design.

References

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2021, September 22). Socrates summary.

Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/summary/Socrates

Matthiessen, N. (2011). Socratic Dialogue in Design Education. In: Marcus, A. (eds) Design,

User Experience and Usability. Theory, Methods, Tools, and Practice. DELUXE 2011. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 6769. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21675-6_11

Wardman, K. (2007, July 19). Past Webinars - Summer 2022 EDCI 52800-013 DIS. Purdue. https://purdue.brightspace.com/d2l/le/content/569231/Home