8 dumb questions you should stop asking

And what to ask instead

Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple. — Dr. Seuss

Whoever said “there are no dumb questions” is an idiot.

There are plenty of dumb questions, just as there are dumb statements and dumb opinions.

It’s not just a harmless fallacy, either. Dumb questions produce dumb answers. Garbage in, garbage out.

To be clear, dumb questions are not the same as naive questions. A naive or elementary question like “What are we actually trying to accomplish?” can help clarify your goals and keep you on track. Dumb questions, in contrast, derail and distract.

I ask dumb, boring or just overused questions all the time, but I’m trying to change my habits. Here are eight questions I’ve learned can be framed in a better way.

Any fact that you can easily Google

Obviously, if you meet someone at a networking event, you don’t have to whip out your phone and start looking up their job history before engaging. But here’s a rule of thumb: If someone could respond to your dumb question with a link to Let Me Google That For You, then Google that yourself. It’s lazy at best; inconsiderate at worst.
Ask this instead: Ask Google “what” and “how.” Ask people “what if” and “why.”

What time works for you to meet?

This question quickly gets the email out of your inbox and puts the onus on the other person. But it’s too open ended. It’s going to cause you more work with the back-and-forth emails. Next year is open. Is that good for you??
Ask this instead: “Here are a few times next week that I’m open. Do any work for you?”

Can I pick your brain?

Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. No, you can’t. This question comes from people who are looking for advice — basically free consulting. Of course, if someone wants to give you a free consultation, that’s their decision. But you should at least demonstrate that you’ve done your homework and you have skin in the game before you try to commit someone else’s time.
Ask this instead: “I’ve been doing…