LEADERS AK POWERFUL QUESTIONS – PART II
This past weekend I was extremely fortunate to spend several days with my sons, Jared and Ben. We were all in Syracuse, New York for the annual Syracuse and Georgetown basketball game.
Jared and Ben attended Georgetown and I attended Syracuse before moving to Washington DC to attend Georgetown Law Center.
Each year we continue a father and sons tradition of attending this game, whether it takes place in Syracuse or Washington DC. Because I love leadership and because Jared and Ben are fortunate to both be in leadership positions at their companies, we often spend time discussing their management and leadership challenges at work.
Saturday during one of those conversations I commented: “Of course it’s always more important to ask than to tell.” My son Ben responded “Yes, dad. I know that, but I need to sometimes keep reminding myself of it because it’s so easy to fall into the tell trap.”
This conversation reminded me that as leaders it’s important that we keep reminding ourselves of the value and power of asking great “what questions.”
“Who questions,” “Why questions” and “How questions” invite limited answers. The person answers the question and then the conversation may be over. “What questions” invite the other person to pause and think.
When we ask those “What questions” and see the person thinking, we know they don’t have a quick and pat answer. They are perusing through their experiences and thought processes to deliver a responsive answer to our question.
As a leader, do you value and utilize the power of “What questions?”
Some of these might include:
-What prompted you to move in that direction?
-What were you thinking when you made that comment?
-What was your motivation for that important decision?
-What factors did you consider when coming to that conclusion?
-What’s your ongoing relationship like with this particular direct report?
-What do you think they were thinking when you said that?
-What has been effective for you in the past when the same challenge has arisen?
-What’s the one big obstacle that’s standing in your way here?
-What’s the story that you’re telling yourself here?
-What’s your major goal in this upcoming conversation?
-What are you trying to accomplish here with your team?
-What could you do to check your assumptions before moving ahead?
-What are you not telling yourself in this situation?
-What might the other person be thinking that you are not considering here?
-What would allow you to lay down this weight and let the issue go?
Powerful “What questions” can achieve multiple goals::
-They can motivate the other person to think in new and different ways
-They can move an interpersonal relationship forward to new and stronger ground
-They can help our direct reports grow during their own leadership journeys
-They can help us be more effective leaders ourselves
As you move forward this coming week, consider the “What questions” you can use to be an effective and respected leader.
If you have some favorite “What questions” of your own, please share them with me in a responsive email. I will be glad to communicate them to all subscribers in an upcoming newsletter.
If you believe this content would resonate with a friend or colleague, please feel free to forward it along!
-Larry