Bradford's leaders of the future

By Andrew Edwards BBC Radio Leeds breakfast show presenter

I spend my working life talking to people and asking them questions - all sorts of people, all sorts of subjects.

But I don't think I've ever before been asked to speak to people about ASKING questions!

It happened in Bradford this week, when I talked to 24 year nine students from four high schools across the district.

They're all talented young people, selected by their teachers for a leadership programme run by an organisation called Common Purpose.

Andrew Edwards was given a good grilling by Bradford students

They work with people at different stages in their careers: many adults but also, as here, the leaders of the future.

This is what my original invitation said: "We would like to introduce a session where the young people have a chance to think about effective questioning and how they can get the most out of the programme by effectively questioning contributors".

These programmes are run by professional staff with contributors from a range of backgrounds including business, finance, transport, politics, faith organisations and community groups. And, today, a journalist from the BBC!

No reluctance

Crucially, the students are taken out of their usual environment. I've talked to groups before in a police station; this time it was a grand panelled room in Bradford City Hall with pictures of Lord Mayors lining the walls.

There was no reluctance at all when it came to questions being fired at me: "Have you ever met anyone famous?" was the first (Yes, what about spending half an hour in the studio with the Prime Minister Gordon Brown taking questions from our listeners?).

I then asked a few of my own. What's going on in Bradford at the moment? We immediately started talking about the shopping centre that isn't in the city centre, and why the building work has ground to a halt before it even started.

Why might that be, I asked? "Is it because all the money's been given to MPs for their expenses?" wondered one lad. I liked his style, but had to say that the problem for the developers Westfield with the recession is at least one thing for which you can't blame Members of Parliament.

Musical chairs

The students need to think just how to ask the right questions

Interestingly, persuading two dozen young people to talk to each other was the first step. The thirteen- and fourteen-year-olds came from Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College in Bradford, Titus Salt School in Baildon, Oakbank School in Keighley and Beckfoot School in Bingley.

We all tend to stick with the people we know and, sure enough, Buttershaw students (nice smart jackets) sat with their friends from Buttershaw, Oakbank with Oakbank. You get the idea. So first we needed to play musical chairs.

The students themselves worked out a simple set of questions which would form the basis of our conversations. Each would talk to the person next to them, but it had to be someone they'd never met before the course started.

The 'W' questions

We started with the 'W' questions - who, what, when, where, why plus how and my favourite: is there anything else we should know about? I suggested that everyone also try to find out a fact from their interviewee that we would have never otherwise known.

Course leader Ros has a niece who's a finalist in The X Factor, I used to be looked after by Spice Girl Mel B's aunt when I gave blood at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds and senior programme co-ordinator Christine Marshall from Common Purpose in Bradford appeared on stage at the Alhambra as a girl!

We spent a fascinating hour together, hearing about air cadets, actors and skiers, climbers and cavers and people with horses and hamsters that eat human food. However my favourites were the two goldfish which are as old as their owner (13!) and the girl who met Bradford's own Girl Aloud, Kimberley Walsh.

My top tip: listen to the answers and don't just focus on the questions Andrew Edwards, BBC Radio Leeds

What you ask, and how you ask it, depends on who you're talking to, and about what. What's appropriate for grilling an elected politician is probably not right for a grieving mother who recently lost her son fighting with the British Army in Afghanistan.

New best friend

But with those simple basics (the 'w' questions and 'how') you can't go far wrong. My top tip: listen to the answers and don't just focus on the questions. My partner in crime every morning, Georgey Spanswick, says never be afraid to ask the obvious.

At the end of the session, my questions and - crucially - theirs were flying thick and fast. I asked each young person to stand up in front of the group and talk about their new best friend. I enjoyed my hour with the leaders of the future.

Plenty of effective questioning was going on, including the one I'm asked more than any other as a breakfast radio presenter: what time do you get up? At 3.30am, now you mention it! It turned out that one young lady regularly walks her dog at that time in the morning. It's good to know I'm not the only one who's up and about at that time.

Andrew Edwards presents the BBC Radio Leeds breakfast show, Andrew and Georgey in the Morning, weekday mornings 6am to 9am. Listen out on 92.4FM or 774 AM.