The art of asking questions is a leadership power tool.
A good question from a leader is like a pebble thrown into a pond. While the splash occurs at the impact point, the question encourages people to think experiment and even innovate, long after the initial asking.
The best leaders wield their questions like a concert musician wields his or her instrument, adjusting and adapting the tone and tenor and pace depending upon circumstances.
Jack Welch, the former Chairman and CEO of G.E. was famous for his view on this topic, although in true Welch fashion, there was a bit of a bit to his view on questions:
“Leaders probe and push with a curiosity that borders on skepticism, making sure questions are answered with action.”
I like everything about his view here, except the point on skepticism. Jack and I will have to agree to disagree on that one.
How’s Your Questions to Comments Ratio?
Long-time readers know that I advocate monitoring your Questions to Comments ratio as a personal key performance indicator. The further north you are of a 1:1 ratio with good quality questions, the more effective you are at delivering on some key leadership objectives.
5 Reasons Why You Want to Lead With Great Questions:
- You are creating a learning atmosphere
- Your questions show your team members how much you respect their insights
- You are encouraging people to think independently
- You are teaching others how important it is to question assumptions about projects, strategies, competitors and market forces. All of these areas and the dominant logic behind them demand constant reconsideration.
- You are promoting an effective communications culture where the tough issues are free to be examined and ideas suggested.
Your goal with your questions as Mr. Welch highlights is to encourage action. You want experiments, improvement initiatives and innovation efforts to be the by-products of your probing, not a series of never-ending debates.
Developing your skill with questions takes deliberate practice and some healthy self-awareness to acknowledge that asking might just be more effective than telling.
Some leaders mistakenly assume that they are in charge because they are smart. The most effective leaders recognize that they are in charge because they know how to tap into the talents of people that are smarter than they are. Questions are the tool for tapping into that talent.
11 Questions to Help Jump-Start Your Team’s Curiosity
1. Why are we winning? (What’s working and how do we do more of it?)
2. Why are we losing? (What’s not working and what can we fix or stop?)
3. Why are our competitors winning? (How well do we understand their strategies?)
4. What are the customers saying?
5. What do the customers really mean? (How well are we interpreting their Voice?)
6. Are we doing the right things? (Do our priorities tie closely with our strategy?)
7. What are the assumptions about the world (markets, industries, our capabilities) that underlie our strategy and are they valid?
8. What resources do you need from me to help you and your colleagues execute on priorities?
9. How are you measuring progress? Why?
10. What are our major risks and our plans to identify and deal with them?
11. What have we learned and how are we translating the lessons learned into improvements?
The Bottom-Line for Now:
Learn to wield questions to both gain insights and stimulate your team’s thinking. The best dividend of a consistent approach to asking a lot of the right questions, is that you teach those around you to both ask and think about the right issues. Additionally, in this fast moving world, yesterday’s assumptions and strategies are easily turned into tomorrow’s business road-kill unless you and your team members stay alert. Now, are there any questions?
Hi Wally,
I really enjoy reading all of your posts. I have to say I agree with Jack Welch’s notion of being a skeptic. I often find myself playing the devil’s advocate with my questions to ensure that every stone is unturned and that the situation is addressed from all points of view. Sometimes this does not make me popular, but I feel that it is always necessary. The management or subordinates sometimes live in a glass bubble where they only experience a situation through their own eyes. I was taught not to be a focus group of one and to look at things from many different perspectives. Part of doing that is asking the skeptical questions.
Again, great post. Love the list of questions. I will use many of them moving forward.
Thanks,
Casey
Art, great post! I love your 11 questions, in particular. One thing that came to mind that is often times lost in developing leadership skills is in the area of expectations. I find that whether we’re dealing with leaderships, priorities, or analyzing teams, we often overlook the discussion of what is expected. I find if we have this conversation, communication and performance overall is enhanced and there tends to be an improved level of trust as time goes on. Whenever I think of communication breakdowns or significant issues in the workplace, most times it can be attributed to a lack of agreed upon expectations.
Casey, you might have me confused with my good friend and brilliant colleague, Wally Bock! I am most flattered at the confusion!
Tom, those are words to live and lead by!
Thanks to both for reading and commenting!
Art
Sorry Art! I knew it was your blog. I love your blog. I had just read Wally’s right before yours. Sorry again!
Art, this is a great list of questions you’ve compiled here. It’s fascinating to see how as adults we struggle with the exercise of not only trying to figure out what questions to ask, but with the simple act of asking questions. I’ve written a few pieces on my blog about this very subject, of why we stop asking questions and how leaders can benefit from learning how to ask the right ones. I have no doubt that more will continue to be written as leaders and their team members continue to struggle with this.
Perhaps as a result of the constant flow of information we have all around us now, leaders can feel more comfortable about showing others that they don’t have all the answers. For me that’s the most important step to get leaders to start asking questions to those around them, so that they can make the best and most informed decisions for the benefit of their organization.
Another insightful post, I think one of the most crucial benefits a manager recieves from asking questions is the instant boost in morale. People are bound to at least try harder when they think their opinion matters and that someone even cares to ask! People generally don’t like being told what to do and this is a great way to engadge your employees!
[…] “A good question from a leader is like a pebble thrown into a pond. While the splash occurs at the impact point, the question encourages people to think experiment and even innovate, long after the initial asking.“ […]
Hey Art, how did you know that so many of us were in need of this type of post? 🙂
Great thought provoking post. Something I’ve learned to keep reminding myself of is that “I don’t know what I don’t know.” To find out is to ask questions. When leadership asks others how they are doing, it aids in feedback and growth. When leadership asks “How am I doing?”, it allows for correction and growth.
Your list of questions are good pointers of progress and I am glad that you took the time to share them with your readers, I think it’s a great refresher for some of us, and a excellent guideline for those who are transforming into the leaders of tomorrow.
Thanks again.
Geoff
[…] time ago, Art Petty wrote a post called; Let Your Questions be their Guide. It is an excellent post that includes some questions that will encourage curiosity in others. If […]