Answer the question

If you’re in a group of people asking and answering questions you might notice…

The person asking the question might not have confidence in their question, either because they’re not sure exactly what their question is, or because there’s something holding them back from being direct. They’re hoping that the answerer will interpret their meaning and answer the intent behind the question, rather than the question itself.

The person answering the question doesn’t. Instead, they state some belief that’s adjacent to the subject of the question, but they don’t address the question directly. Whether or not the question was direct is irrelevant.

If you’re a listener and you feel like there is a chasm between the question being asked and the question being answered, you’re probably right. You can raise your hand, clarify the question or the answer or both.

What you shouldn’t do is sit there, assuming that someone else has all the answers.