Frequently Asked Questions | Dr. Debra Clary

  
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you want to know about working with Dr. Debra.

Debra positions curiosity as a leading indicator of decision quality, not just a mindset. In the AI era, she helps leaders improve how they frame decisions and ask better questions so judgment improves even when uncertainty remains.
Many decision-making programs focus on biases and frameworks after options are already defined. Debra works upstream: improving the quality of the questions that determine what options leaders consider, especially when AI makes it easy to be confidently wrong.
It means curiosity shows up before results do. When leaders consistently ask disciplined, high-quality questions, they surface risk earlier, clarify tradeoffs, and make higher-quality decisions under uncertainty.
Debra is hired by senior leadership teams, boards, transformation leaders, and people and culture teams who need stronger executive judgment in complex environments. Common moments include executive offsites, leadership summits, and transformation kickoffs.
She helps leaders reduce "certainty theater," uncover blind spots, and raise decision quality when AI outputs feel authoritative. The focus is improving how leaders think, ask, and decide, not simply adopting tools.

AI increases speed and volume of information, but it can also increase overconfidence and shallow validation. Debra teaches leaders how to use curiosity to improve framing, verification, and learning so decisions improve even when uncertainty remains.
Common traps include treating AI output as a conclusion, skipping verification, and relying on consensus without real dissent. Debra teaches question-based practices that surface assumptions and evidence early.
Curiosity reduces wasted cycles by clarifying decision criteria, assumptions, tradeoffs, and unknowns early. Better questions at the beginning prevent late-stage rework and decision reversals.
She teaches neutral, disciplined questions that test assumptions and evidence without personal attack. This strengthens psychological safety while increasing rigor and clarity.
Decision quality is the ability to make high-stakes choices consistently using clear criteria, the best available information, and strong reasoning, while learning over time. In Debra's approach, curiosity is the leading indicator that predicts whether teams will actually do this.

The Curiosity Curve is Debra's framework for understanding how curiosity shows up across leaders and teams, and how it affects decision quality. It connects curiosity to leadership behaviors, decision outcomes, and development priorities.
Yes. Debra offers the Curiosity Curve Assessment for individuals, teams, or organizations. It establishes a baseline and identifies targeted actions that improve decision quality.
It measures patterns that influence how leaders seek information, challenge assumptions, explore alternatives, and learn from outcomes. The results highlight decision-making strengths and blind spots, with practical development actions.
Generic tools often measure preferences or sentiment. Debra's assessment is designed to connect curiosity to decision behavior, how leaders frame, test, and learn, so the output directly supports better judgment and better decisions.
Leaders receive a structured readout that highlights strengths, blockers, and priorities tied to decision quality. Teams can also receive a facilitated session to convert results into shared norms and action plans.
Yes. A pre-offsite assessment creates a shared language for how the leadership team makes decisions and reveals friction points to address during the session.

Debra delivers keynotes on curiosity, leadership judgment, and decision quality in the AI era. Common themes include question-powered leadership, navigating uncertainty, and building a curiosity culture that improves decisions and performance.
Both, but the hallmark is practical application. Audiences leave with usable questions, decision prompts, and behaviors they can apply immediately in meetings and high-stakes decisions.
Yes. Debra customizes language, examples, and application to match your industry and leadership context so the message connects to real decisions your leaders face.
Yes. Many organizations choose "keynote plus workshop" to move from insight to implementation. This is especially effective when you want measurable behavior change, not only an energizing event.

Workshops translate the framework into practice: how leaders ask better questions, test assumptions, handle dissent, and decide under uncertainty. Teams also develop shared norms to improve decision quality and learning.
Yes. Debra facilitates sessions focused on alignment and decision clarity for high-stakes choices, especially where complexity and AI-driven change are present.
Training builds shared skills and language. Facilitation applies those skills to real decisions your leaders are currently facing so the organization leaves with concrete outcomes, commitments, and next steps.
Yes. Debra provides practical question sets, decision prompts, and follow-up actions so the work continues beyond the event. Ongoing advisory is also available to reinforce change.

Advisory engagements focus on decision architecture: how decisions are framed, debated, evaluated, and learned from over time. Debra helps teams build repeatable habits that improve decision quality in the AI era.
Yes. Engagements can be structured as a short sprint, quarterly advisory, or multi-month program that combines assessment, workshops, coaching, and leadership system changes.
Progress can be measured through repeat assessment, leadership behavior indicators, meeting effectiveness signals, and decision-cycle outcomes. The goal is to connect curiosity improvements to tangible decision quality gains.
Yes. Debra provides practical question sets, decision prompts, and follow-up actions so the work continues beyond the event. Ongoing advisory is also available to reinforce change.

Typical outcomes include clearer decision framing, improved alignment, healthier dissent, and faster decisions with better rigor. Debra ties curiosity to decision quality so outcomes are operational, not abstract.
Debra offers in-person, virtual, and hybrid formats depending on your event needs. Each format includes clear preparation steps to ensure engagement and outcomes remain high.
The process starts with a short discovery conversation to confirm goals, audience, and format. After that, you receive a clear scope, timeline, and preparation plan.
Fees vary based on format, audience size, and customization requirements. The best next step is to request speaking information or schedule a consultation call for a tailored proposal.
Yes. Debra's frameworks and tools are designed to be reused in meetings and high-stakes decisions. If you want a longer runway, Debra can support rollout and reinforcement.

Ask: What assumption is this based on? What evidence supports it? What would change the recommendation? What is missing? What risks are not represented? Debra teaches leaders to standardize these questions so they become a decision-quality habit.
The shift from being answer-driven to being question-powered. When AI can generate answers instantly, leaders differentiate through disciplined curiosity: asking the questions that shape better judgment and better outcomes.