Questions make Innovators feel uncomfortable. Like they are put on the spot. Especially when they are questioned about personal things or subjects they are not in the mood to talk about.
It can make them feel cornered, and they are going to consider first what you will do with the information they give you.
For it might be they think you will try to interfere with their 'doing' when they give an answer to your question, even when you do not mean it this way.
Have you ever got an evasive answer to your question?
This is what you can do to prevent this from happening, to get a bigger chance of satisfying your curiosity without making the Innovator feel uncomfortable.
Instead of asking: How are you doing? You can cut the question into smaller subjects to clarify what you exactly want to know.
Because the question 'how are you doing?' is so broad, it can be answered in different ways, depending on which aspect of 'you' you want an answer to. Healthwise, I am good, work is hectic, for where I am headed in life, I do not have a f*cking clue, and things with my boyfriend are fine. So overall, I would say 'okay'.
That is what goes on in my mind when I get this question. It is only the 'okay' part that you get as an answer, though.
Depending on who is asking and if I think there is actually another question (agenda) behind it, I am cautious not to give too much information until I know what you exactly want to know and why. So if you are curious and want to ask a question, make it as precise as possible, and you will get a more satisfying answer.
The other option is to not phrase your question as a question at all.
Inform the Innovator that you want to know something. 'I would really like to know how you are doing' or 'the other day, I was thinking about your business, and I would like to talk about how things are going for you'.
This way, you let the Innovator know that you are interested (still, the more specific, the better), while you let the Innovator decide if to answer and when.
As an emotional Innovator with open Identity/Direction and Survival instinct functions, I often have to 'think about' or 'feel into' how I am doing (at this specific moment and overall). In general, this is not something I can answer on the spot.
If you are interested in more than a superficial 'okay', you probably have to let me feel into it a bit to get my honest answer. (By honest, I do not mean that otherwise, it is a lie. Still, how many people often ask 'how are you?' in a superficial way and get the superficial okay, which is often not the complete truth of your 'state of being'?)
This way, the Innovator can inform you about how they are doing or inform you that you will get the 'answer' or information later.
