Asking the tough question

It's threads such as these that make me wish Roanoke's Mark Berman posted here.

 

it's not typically what you say, but how you say it and when... if you want a flipant, screw-you-answer, then be an a-hole when you ask your questions and do it in front of a group of people, which makes the question seem more like a personal attack

if you want a genuine, well-thought answer, ask your questions in that manner. you don't need to be hostile to be objective, fair or firm.

if i have a tough question to ask, at least in terms of on-field performance, i'll describe what i saw, characterize the play and ask if that is a fair assessment, follwed up with why, what happened, and how come. plus, a string of negative questions can be seen as a personal attack; mix the interview up if you have the time. if not, strive to be business-like.

off-field stuff, it's just practice and confidence and realizing some people will talk to you, others won't, and a lot of it has to do with what they've got to hide. the best thing to realize is that it's just not asking questions, but being able to debate people to gain leverage in a conversation. lock them into a story, then point out the holes in that story. then fire away with the tough Qs that make 'em squirm.

as for the courage it takes to ask the tough Q's... just remeber that's even harder for people to answer them, and if they attack you, just say, as calmly as possible: "that's not answering the question."

 

I think that gives the subject an out to avoid answering the question. If they feel your hesitant about asking the question I think they take that as a sign that they you won't press them as much if they don't answer you directly. No need to be combatitive, but I think you need to be self-assured and ask the question. No qualifying or complimenting.