This article focuses on the Questioner tendency and is the third in a series of articles all about the Four Tendencies and how you can harness this self-knowledge to achieve your goals. If you haven’t read the first article yet, check out The Four Tendencies article now.
What are the Four Tendencies?
The Four Tendencies framework is a simple and elegant way to categorize how we respond to both internal and external expectations.
The Four Tendencies categorizes people with regards to how they respond to EXPECTATIONS, that’s it. A narrow aspect of our whole person, but very mighty because this influences how we accomplish our goals.
Check out Gretchen Rubin’s podcast episode all about the Four Tendencies.
What is your tendency?
If you haven’t done so already, take the quiz here to learn your tendency.
If you’re a patient of mine, email me your tendency! I like to keep note of this in your chart because it helps me to help you improve your health!
Do You Ask a lot of Questions?
Do you need to “see it to believe it”?
Is it hard for you to settle on a decision?
Have you ever been told you ask too many questions? Do you feel overwhelmed by mountains of information and unable to decide what is right for you? This is called “analysis paralysis” and it often affects Questioners.
According to Gretchen Rubin’s research, Questioner is the second most common tendency at 24% of the population.
“I’ll comply – if you convince me why”
Questioners “question all expectations, and will meet an expectation only if they believe it’s justified.” Questioners love to learn and need hard evidence or to “see it” to believe it. You are talented at creating systems that work well but also willing to “think outside the box” when it leads to better outcomes. You are probably thorough, detail-oriented, and driven.
The disadvantage here is that you can get so caught up in your own analysis that you may close yourself off to valuable information. Because you dislike being questioned or having to justify your choices, you can come across as closed-minded and may have trouble delegating.
You can find it hard to meet the expectations of others without good reasons and may struggle to stop analyzing and move forward with action.
Questioner Key to Success: Finding Clarity
Given the volume of information available in the modern world, Questioners can find it challenging to focus on the right information, make a decision, and follow through. This is especially true with health information because it seems like it comes at you from all angles!
You likely do not have a problem with TOO LITTLE information – you probably have too much information but don’t know WHICH information is right for you. You need CLARITY!
As a Questioner, distilling all that information into a clear plan unlocks your natural ability to follow through on your expectations for yourself. Once you take action, you will reap the results.
How I work with Questioners:
1. Provide reasons why
Example: I explain my assessment, the underlying cause(s), and recommended treatment including short- and long-term expectations during your visit.
2. Create a clear plan
Example: I create a treatment plan that provides instructions and handouts for everything (no note-taking necessary!).
3. Provide opportunities for monitoring
Example: I recommend tools to track habits like diet or meditation which provide the opportunity for you to gather data about yourself.
What’s next?
To learn more, check out Gretchen Rubin’s Happier podcast episode all about Questioners. And stay tuned for my next article all about Upholders.
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