TC187: What Do You Want? Descriptive Communication Answers that Question – Joppe Quaedvlieg

[38:41] Most of us spend a lot of time solving problems… without ever stopping to answer a much simpler question: What do you want? In this episode, I sit down with Joppe Quaedvlieg to explore how that one question can completely change the direction of a conversation, a decision, or even a life. Joppe introduces us to his concept of Descriptive Communication and the power of that one simple question. He introduces this approach as a tool, as a way of slowing things down, getting beneath assumptions and quick fixes, and creating space for clearer thinking, better conversations, and more intentional decisions. He explains how most people don’t naturally at the beginning. They come in feeling stuck, trying to solve a specific issue. But as Joppe explains, the problem we think we’re solving is often not the real one. We also explore how these ideas extend beyond conversation through his work, including his course and his book, where he helps people apply descriptive communication in practical, real-world situations. Listeners will hear… How a single question can shift the direction of a conversation or decision Why people often solve the wrong problem without realizing it A real example of how this approach changes workplace conversations Why removing judgment leads to clearer, more honest dialogue How communication can become a tool for discovery, not just expression Sometimes the simplest question can be the hardest to answer. In Monty Python and the Holy Grail, failing to correctly answer the bridge keeper’s “What is your favourite colour?” can result in a rather fatal plunge into the gorge. Thankfully, the stakes in real life are usually a little lower. What if the problem you’re trying to solve isn’t the real problem? About Joppe... Joppe Quaedvlieg is a communication professional and the creator of the Descriptive Communication methodology, a framework designed to help individuals and teams gain clarity by asking better questions and slowing down their thinking. He is also the author of Reaching Escape Velocity: A Proposal for an Alternative Way of Being , a book for those who feel they have untapped potential and recognize that growth often requires the support of others and the creator of the Course : Intro to Descriptive Communication Methodology . Joppe Quaedvlieg lives in Helsinki, Finland and can be reach via his company Artiqula.com , or via LinkedIn .

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TC187: What Do You Want? Descriptive Communication Answers that Question – Joppe Quaedvlieg is an episode from Toastcaster Communication Leadership Learning Lab by Greg Gazin.

This episode is 38:41 long.

This episode was published on Mar 26, 2026.

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