It is Voltaire who said, “Judge a man by his questions, not his answers.” He was right. So, why do many politicians lack a forum for asking questions? I only see an answer time, where after an address, a politician receives questions from the Fourth Estate members i.e. journalists who are often allowed to ask questions.
If you do not ask the right questions, you cannot get the right answers. No leader can lead well without asking the right questions.
When a person goes to hospital, the first thing a doctor does is to ask questions, like “when did you start feeling unwell?” Is this the first time you have experienced these conditions? What is your medical history?” Great doctors and teachers ask questions.
To learn, leaders must start asking the right questions to the right people.
During the next elections, more time should be allocated to leaders to ask each other several questions. Once in office, leaders meet several professionals and experts. Without the skill of questioning to assess the skills of such professionals, leaders run a risk of keeping around mediocre at the expense of national development. A leader must develop a high skill of asking great questions to assess situations and people, as well as evaluate the skill levels of those around them. For example, as an investigator, I know as a matter of fact, during the first five questions of interviewing of a suspect, avoid asking questions for which you do not have an idea of the right answer! That way you can know whether the suspect is lying or not.
As we enter an election period, this is an innovation that should be introduced. You cannot lead well without asking questions that matter, since no leader can get the right answers without asking the right questions.
Specifically, presidential, and similar political debates should introduce a slot where the candidates are given an opportunity to ask questions to one another as well as to a team of assembled experts so that the citizens assess their level of articulation. Any leader who lack the skill of problem analysis and question-asking is not worth the office.
So, which questions have you asked today?
Copyright Mustapha B Mugisa, 2020. All rights reserved.
