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The Nobel Explorers Ask Clarifying Questions

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How often have you been talking to someone who just nods back, saying “Uh-huh, ok,” whereas to you it appears as if they may not have really understood your point?

When we work in a team it is crucial that everybody in the team operates with the same information and understands each other. Communicating clearly is something that sounds easy, but it can actually be tricky to put into practice. How can we make sure we communicate clearly? This gets even more important as the problems we solve grow in their complexity.

The solution is easy. Whenever someone is explaining a complex topic, we should stop them every time we don’t understand in order to double-check if our understanding is correct. This can be done simply by asking for further clarification or trying to summarize what was just said but in your own words. If you can’t do that, you can always ask for clarification.

Our Explorers are supported to practice the skill of asking clarifying questions on a daily basis during our Mini Project.

This can look as simple as “Can you please clarify your last point?”, or “I’m not sure I’m following now. Can you please explain that last point one more time?”. You can take it to the next level by summarizing main points in your own words, practicing real comprehension rather than recognition.

Asking questions like that will earn you your #AskClarifyingQuestions badge and will help your team progress faster.
We encourage you to practice this skill in your daily lives. Reach out if you have any questions and we will make sure to clarify them for you! If you need any clarification about your Explorer’s journey and growth, book a free session with me, Daria.

The Nobel Explorers Constructive Colonel Badge

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Think back to a time when your colleague or classmate has done something you didn’t like. Did you struggle with how to handle it? Is there a way to tell them you disagree without hurting their feelings? The alternative is to say nothing, but potentially risking the future of the whole project.

Providing your teammates with actionable and constructive feedback is a skill we hold very high in our soft skills training for all Explorers. This means you learn how to provide feedback that is results-oriented and offers concrete suggestions on what can be done to improve the project.

Let’s illustrate this. Instead of saying “I don’t like the colors on our website,” – which can be perceived as judgmental and less useful for the feedback recipient – you could try saying “I think we have done a great job organizing parts of our website so far. One thing I would change is the color of the background. That yellow color makes it hard for me to look at the website for a long time. How about we change it to a darker shade of blue? It would be more comfortable to look at, and it matches our topic of ocean life better.”

Our Nobel Explorers have a chance to start practicing this skill as early as the mini project or intro class, and as they go on we dedicate more and more attention to this complex but important skill.

We believe that we all grow through real, constructive feedback, that comes from a good place. Our program is organized in a way that supports and promotes collaboration, so providing feedback is inevitable and valuable!

Asking and providing feedback is something you can practice as well! Leave a review on Facebook, Google and let us know what you enjoyed and what you like to see more of! Book a session with me, Daria, for personalized feedback on your Explorer’s improvement and growth journey!

Learn more about Daria.