
In summer 1996, I attended a national studies programme at Tsinghua University with other Hong Kong senior civil servants. The scope of the studies was broad, covering the civil, political, economic, social and cultural conditions in mainland China. To keep myself awake, get the knowledge transfer, and develop a constructive dialogue, I planned to take the lead to pose questions to the national experts.
To execute my plan, I had to listen very actively to understand the Mandarin messages. I then dug deep with many "Why" questions to verify or falsify the casual relationships as to how one thing led to another. Having had further and better particulars, I would pose open-ended questions to let the experts expand their thoughts, while I would state my perspectives at appropriate junctures.
My classmates welcomed my questioning practice as it relieved the common burden to break the ice during the Q and A session. They were impressed that I seemed to know whatever areas or topics that were being discussed, although I just picked them up during the lectures. More importantly, I observed that they began to play the team role by posing questions too.
In an open data workshop today - the effective date of EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), I was designated as the question poser. I first asked the panelists questions at the detail level, then at the structural level and lastly at the conceptual level. Not only did I help raise the level of explanation of the trendy knowledge system, I have also reinforced my personal identity and goodwill!