LEADERS ASK GREAT QUESTIONS MODELED ON “THE SEVEN HABITS”

I have written about questions frequently in this newsletter because they are so critical for good leadership. And I do so again today!

Were you ever at a meeting, in person or on-line, where a manager or leader asked a question of a direct report and you thought to yourself, “Geez, I can’t believe he asked that question?” Or, “What was she trying to achieve with that question?” Or “Wow. That question was mean or accusatory.”

We have all been there. We hear a leader or colleague ask a question and we say to ourselves “”I’m glad I didn’t ask that question” or “That question certainly sets back the dialogue here.”

Part of good leadership is asking the right questions at the right times. In order to do so, leaders must consider their goals in asking particular questions. They must consider how they phrase their questions. In meetings, they must think about who the best person is to ask a certain question. In one-on-ones, they must consider the goal of the question.

When we are committed to helping our team members grow – an essential aspect of leadership – we want to ask them tough questions. I don’t mean tough in terms of trying to stump them; we can save those questions for trivia contests. I mean tough questions that force our teammates to pause and think.

We can tell we have asked that kind of question when our teammate pauses and says something like: “That’s a good question” or “I had not thought about that up to now” or “Let me think about that one.”

Another way to consider good questions is to put them in a “Seven Habits” context. Stephen Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” include three initial habits he termed “The Private Victory,” then four habits he called “The Public Victory.” However, I have found that when I keep the first three habits in mind, I tend to ask better questions of my teammates, whether in a job setting or a volunteering setting.

Habit One is “Be Proactive.” It always helps to ask proactive questions of our colleagues rather than reactive questions. We have all been the recipients of reactive questions from our managers. They include judgmental questions like:

“What were you thinking?”

“What got into you here?”

“Why the heck did you do it that way?”

“Why didn’t you do it the way I would have done it?”

Proactive questions are geared to helping our teammates learn, to grow and to think. They are positive rather than negative. They help the other person get to the next phase of their own professional journey. They include questions like:

“What was your primary goal here?”

“What did you learn here?”

“How can you use this experience moving forward?”

“What’s the number one priority here?”

“What’s the hidden message here?”

“What are we not seeing here?”

“What’s our biggest obstacle here as a team?”

Habit Two is “Begin with the End in Mind.” That maxim is focused on goal-setting. Covey used to say that the number one practice setting effective people apart from ineffective people is that effective people set goals.

Goal-setting happens at annual reviews, at the creation of performance improvement plans and at team retreats. However, goal-setting can also take place in daily interactions with our teammates. We can set goals for Zoom chats, for one-on-one meetings, for conversations and for group meetings.

Questions built around beginning with the end in mind can include:

“What are we striving to achieve in this meeting?

“Where do we want to be at the end of this conversation?”

“What are you trying to get to with this approach?”

“What is he key learning for us and the team here?”

“Where will be be in achieving our long-term goal if we are successful here?”

“How does this project contribute to our long-term objective?”

Covey’s Habit Three is “Put First Things First.” That concept is about effective time management. It reminds us not to get caught up in busyness, moving from project to project so we can gain personal satisfaction in checking off boxes.. It encourages us to think about what are our highest priorities – at work or at home – and then organize our time around those priorities. Another way to think about this is “You control your schedule. Don’t let your schedule control you.”

Of course, we all realize that what is a high priority for our manager may automatically become a high priority for us. The same concept can apply with our significant other of our children at home.

Questions based around this concept might include:

“How does this initiative relate to the company’s quarterly goals?”

“Where will this take us in three months?”

“How will we be better off after this project is concluded?”

“How will this effort help you achieve your annual goals?”

“How will you grow professionally as a result of this initiative?”

“What skills will you be honing as you work on this project?”

“How will your teammates benefit here?”

As you move through your work day or your volunteer meetings, I ask you to really consider the questions that you ask rather than posing them off the cuff without much forethought.

Your questions can be a powerful too to help you be a more effective manager, leader and teammate.

Not only will your colleagues learn a lot from your well-thought-out questions. You as a leader will learn a lot as well!

If you believe this content would resonate with a friend or colleague, please feel free to forward it along!

-Larry