asking questions | andrewquagliata

Leading the Way: The Benefits of Going First

Two seeds were buried side by side in a field. The seeds—Amara and Brio—lay dormant, dreaming of the sky. One day, a gentle rain...

Interview Your Next Employer

During my junior year of college, I wanted to explore a possible career in the wealth management field. When I was offered an internship...

The Benefits and Downsides of Assuming Best Intentions

A team of coworkers was working on a tight deadline to complete an important project. One team member, Kim, consistently seemed to be...

From Small Talk to Deep Conversation

A couple years ago I was at an outdoor gathering with a large group of friends and acquaintances. I was standing alone near the door of a...

A Need for Dialogue

Two years ago I organized and facilitated a series of small focus groups in New York City with alumni from the Cornell SC Johnson College...

How to Prepare for a Job Interview

A job interview is a bit like a first date. Prior to most first dates, you often have some communication. For example, if you met online,...

Listening as a Means of Persuasion

Students and executives arrive in my classes and workshops with a desire to improve their communication skills. Without exception...

Engage Your Audience With Questions

When given the opportunity to present our ideas, we all want to perform well, and most of us have heard public speaking advice that...

Ask Better Questions

In the last few years more students than ever have asked me some version of the following question: “How do I ask good questions?” They...

3 Ways That Being a Good Parent is Like Being a Hostage Negotiator

What do parents and hostage negotiators have in common? It turns out they both use many of the same communication strategies. That was my...

A Lesson In Persuasion: Give Up Control To Get What You Want

When I was a kid I liked eating out at restaurants that included a placemat I could draw on while we waited for our food. My favorite...

ANDREW