The Incisive Question – with Shirley Wardell-Faraday and Simona Hamblet

Nancy Kline’s Incisive Question is a valuable process to use when individuals feel their progress towards goal is blocked. Typically in Thinking Partnerships, the Thinker, in the right conditions, discovers and removes limiting assumptions as they go along. Sometimes, they can’t; and then we can use this process. I will outline the simple, yet profound process.

• What challenging next step would you like to take? (this becomes the goal for the session)
• What might you be assuming that stops you?
• What else could you be assumption that stops you?
• Of all the assumptions and any other that may come to mind; which is most in the way of taking that challenging next step?
• Do you think that it is true; and what are you reasons?
• What could you credibly assume that is liberating instead?

Incisive question: If you knew (liberating assumption) how would you achieve (your challenging next step?)