Circular questions are a powerful instrument in systemic complementary consulting – a form of intervention that opens up new ways of thinking and – ultimately – also of acting.

Questions imply hypotheses – we (subconsciously or consciously) make assumptions or have ideas which raise particular questions. These lead us to recognise differences in the way we perceive realities – differences in relationships, differences between today and tomorrow. Questions expand our communication space, create awareness and often open up new options. Behind all this lies, among other things, a circular approach to thinking, which – unlike linear thinking – does not simply focus on easy to understand relationships of cause and effect. To ask circular questions you have to think in a round about way and ask questions that are “out of the box”. You could, for example, do this by introducing an external perspective:

“What do you think your customers think about the relationship between your centralised and decentralised units?”

“How will your customers see that this project has been a success a year from now?”

“If your staff were here now, what issues would be particularly important to them?”

To ask systemic complementary questions, you have to apply circular questions to facts, figures and information. This, in turn, expands the room for manoeuvre (action and interpretation).

Looking at an issue from different perspectives helps us to question the way things have been simplified, develop a greater understanding of the complexity and thus take appropriate action in the system (intervene).

“What conclusions do you think the Sales Director/a Member of the Works Council would draw from these figures?”

“What is it that really makes the profit margins so different?”

Questions provide us with room to speculate, they open up new shared experiences and expand our understanding. They open doors to new worlds of experience, doors that might otherwise have remained closed.

Finally, I asked myself what my favourite colour is. The answer was easy. It is, of course, that magic question we know from the fairy tales we heard as children: "Imagine you met a fairy and she gave you three wishes (which, for example, could result in a change process being a success) – what would you wish for?

At this point, I find myself asking whether this article still makes sense from your perspective.

Asking questions also means raising doubts – or as Richard P Feynmann once said: “We absolutely must leave room for doubt or there is no progress and no learning. There is no learning without having to pose a question. And a question requires doubt.”