Years of experience working with businesses—especially in areas related to quality, customers, and continuous improvement—have taught me some lessons. One of the most valuable is knowing the right question to ask.

Although it may seem like common sense, many of us hear wrong questions, and even ask them, during the course of the business day. Wrong questions invite reacting, rather than taking action, and unwanted results—or no results. Therefore I thought it worth listing some wrong questions and statements along with what could be asked and said instead.

1. Wrong question: Who did this? Or: Whose fault is it?

The moment this question is asked, we find people getting defensive. They spend time and resources collecting data and “evidence” to prove that it isn’t their fault. If we are interested in solving and preventing the issue, the question must be asked differently. First think objectively so that you ask practical questions.

Right questions: What seems to be the problem? Why did this happen? What is the root cause? How can this problem be solved? How can the problem be prevented in future?

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