What answers do your questions allow?
Most answers fit the answering spectrum of the question.
When we hear an answer that we don’t want to hear, the probability is very high that we asked a question that allows that answer.
When we ask a “Yes” or “No” question, our conversation partners will most likely answer with “Yes” or “No”. When we ask an open question that points in a certain direction, parts of the answer most probably go in that direction, too.
Check your question
When you hear an answer that you didn’t expect today, check your question. What answering spectrum did you offer? And what question might have fitted even better.