Here is a very simple yet highly effective set of questions that are used to explore outcomes and consequences and the overall ecology of some decision.

When you, or someone else, are faced with making a decision, check out the effects, consequences and outcomes while exploring the overall ecology.

Here are the four questions.

Ask them in the order presented.

After asking each one, ask

"And what else?"

What will happen if you do 'X'

What won't happen if you do 'X'

What will happen if you don't do 'X'

What won't happen if you don't do 'X'      

For Example:

My friend John said just a day or two ago "I want to quit my job and do something I really enjoy".

So I asked — "What will happen if you quit your job"

John Replied — "Feel very good, My wife will be angry, Work will be pissed off with me and I will think about doing something worthwhile."

"And what else?"

"There will be enough money to live on so I could do some retraining"

"And what else?" "Hmmmm"

"So John, What won't happen if you do quit your job?"

"What won't happen? I won't, we won't go on holiday this year, Sarah won't get her new car and I won't renew my sports subscription"

"And what else?"

"I won't feel miserable doing a worthless job, I won't listen to my incompetent boss"

"And what else?"

And so on and so forth, until you get the picture.               

This process is about exploration with rapport.

It's about asking the questions with genuine curiosity and facilitating an information gathering process…