Why Open Questions Belong Upstream
Explain when to use open, probing, and closed questions in a funnel.
Open questions are not better in every moment. They are better before you know what terrain you are standing on. Upstream: open the map Early questions should make room for the other person's categories. What happened when you tried? What changed? What did you notice first? These questions surface sequence and meaning. They prevent your assumptions from becoming the boundaries of the answer. Midstream: probe for evidence Once a pattern appears, ladder down. Ask about specific moments, examples, tradeoffs, and exceptions. Probing questions are not random follow-ups. They test whether the emerging story is supported by evidence. Downstream: close for…
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