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Below we talk about the art of asking questions, and about how this can be a powerful managerial tool. Specifically, we address:
- The power of asking great questions
- What are empowering questions
- How to ask great questions
- Responding to questions with “positive understanding”
The Power of Questions
The art of asking questions well is a powerful tool for managers and leaders of organizations. By effectively using questions, managers can realize a number of benefits:
- Facilitation of individual, team, and organizational learning.
- Enhanced accountability and clearer responsibility
- Improved innovation and problem solving
- Movement of people from dependence to independence.
Using Empowering Questions
It is important to understand the difference between disempowering and empowering questions, and to maximize the use of empowering questions.
Disempowering Questions threaten self-esteem and thereby cause people to get mired in their problems.
“Why are you behind schedule?”
“What’s the problem with this project?”
Empowering Questions build positive attitudes and self esteem. They get people to think and allow them to discover their own answers, thus developing self-responsibility and transference of ownership for the results.
“How do you feel about the project thus far?”
“How would you describe the way you want this project to turn out?”
“Which of these objectives do you think is the most important to accomplish?”
“What do you think is the logical first step?”
How To Use The Art of Asking Questions as a Powerful Leadership Tool
There are three immediate things leaders can do to tap into the power of the art of asking questions:
- Use Confirming/Clarifying Questions: Listen and look for themes, key issues, and feelings.
- Focus on Empowering Questions: Focus on the gateway to success or deeper understanding.
- Use Action Questions: Moves toward a course of action or plan of attack.
- “What if you/we were to try …”
- “Based on your experience, what do you suggest we do next?”
Responding with Questions of Positive Understanding
When using the art of asking questions to respond to people, focus your questions on the positive aspects of the others’ statements:
| Others’ Statement: | Positive Understanding Questions: |
| I’d like to try that but … I’m not sure that the others will go for it. |
|
| Are you kidding, this is not a pragmatic approach! That is not even close to how things really work in my department. |
|
3 Things to Remember About the Art of Asking Questions
- This is not as easy as it sounds. You’ll have to make a conscious effort to move to asking questions rather than telling people the way it is.
- Use Empowering Questions. There’s more to it than simply using Open Ended Questions.
- Asking rather than telling, questions rather than answers, is a key leadership skill.
Watch the ‘3-Minute Crash Course’ about The Art of Asking Questions (CLICK THE ARROW TO START THE VIDEO):
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