van-quaquebeke-respectful-inquiry
Respectful Inquiry
Based on Niels Van Quaquebeke's public method. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Niels Van Quaquebeke.
When to use
Use this skill when another person's experience, perspective, or ownership matters to a leadership conversation. Typical requests include preparing a manager's one-to-one, improving a feedback script, exploring disagreement, facilitating a team decision, or coaching someone who asks for an immediate solution. Work on the specific issue and relationship rather than generating a generic question bank. [S2] [S3]
The method combines open questions with attentive listening. Niels Van Quaquebeke and Will Felps developed its research foundation together. Its motivational account concerns autonomy, competence, and relatedness; these are design considerations, not guaranteed outcomes. This package translates the public account into agent instructions and conversation artifacts. Its sequence, template, and checklist are practical adaptations, not an expert-authored protocol or validated assessment. [S1]
Choose the appropriate deliverable: a preparation plan, a revised script, or a record of an actual exchange. Preparation does not establish that someone has been heard. In live chat, ask one substantive question, then yield for the response. Use the template selectively so a brief exchange stays brief. If a decision is fixed, communicate that boundary before exploring what remains open. [S2]
Procedure
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Frame the concrete situation. Identify the issue, participants, available facts, and missing perspectives. Separate reported facts from your interpretation. Read method: Frame the conversation, then start the context fields in output-template. Do not supply an absent participant's answer.
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State decision boundaries. Establish who decides, what is settled, and what the respondent can influence. Read method: Frame the conversation. When the user needs a direction announced, make that announcement clear and reserve inquiry for genuinely open questions.
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Test your intention. Identify what an unexpected answer could change. Read method: Test intention and recognition. Rewrite persuasion disguised as inquiry. Treat the person as someone whose perspective merits consideration even when their role or expertise differs from yours.