It’s exciting to see that past-MSoE practitioner and lecturer Frank Sesno has a new book out, titled Ask More: The Power of Questions to Open Doors, Unlock Solutions, and Spark Change. Sesno, a former senior correspondent for CNN and current director of Planet Forward in Washington, D.C., joined us in 2015 as a practitioner-in-residence and also delivered the MSoE public lecture that year on the power of stories to inspire and motivate. Frank’s passion is transforming both individuals and society at large through changing our capacity to create compelling narratives — both spoken and visual — of solutions to today’s challenges related to peace, justice, and the environment.
The following text is taken directly from the book’s website. Check it out!!
“What hidden skill links successful people in all walks of life? What helps them make informed decisions, inspire creativity, and forge stronger connections?
The answer is surprisingly simple: They know how to ask the right questions at the right time.
Questions help us break down barriers, pinpoint solutions, and explore new ways of doing things. But few of us know how to put questions to work in a truly effective way. Author Frank Sesno aims to change that with Ask More, a guide to unlocking the power of inquiry that’s both intriguing and instructive.
Sesno, an Emmy Award-winning journalist, has spent decades questioning global leaders and everyday people alike. He draws on his formidable interviewing skills and experience to break down the art of inquiry into eleven useful categories of questions, each designed for a specific purpose.
Ask More is packed with illuminating interviews and stories from dozens of leaders who have used these questioning techniques to innovate and excel. By the end of the book, you’ll discover what to ask and when, what you should listen for, and how each different type of question will move you toward your goals.
Among the insights you’ll find in Ask More …
- Colin Powell shows how strategic questions can define a mission and forecast success – or failure.
- Turnaround expert Steve Miller employs diagnostic questions to get to the heart of a company’s problems.
- NPR’s Terry Gross digs deeper with empathy questions.
- Journalists Anderson Cooper and Jorge Ramos explain how they use confrontational questions to hold people accountable.
- Creative questions drove a couple of techie dreamers to imagine Uber, and a young mayor to challenge history.
- Karen Osborne asks mission questions to help nonprofits raise awareness – and money.
- Dr. Anthony Fauci posed scientific questions to help crack the HIV/AIDS mystery.
In an age of instant answers, fly-by facts, and relentless clickbait, Sesno makes a powerful case for the value of observing carefully, listening intently, and asking more. He reveals a roadmap to inquiry that will change the way you question – and that might even change your life.”