Copyright Executive Excellence Publishing Dec 2006| [Headnote] |
| Help your people to discover the answers. |
ASKING RATHER THAN telling, questions rather than answers, has become the key to leadership excellence. Peter Drucker noted that the leader of the past may have been a person who knew how to tell, but the leader of the future will know how to ask.
Over 2,000 years ago, Socrates realized that leading was more a matter of asking the right questions than of giving answers, and developed the dialectic-a method of questioning in order to get at the truth. Leading with questions is a modern dialectic, and questioning will become the essential means for leaders to enhance the capability of people to think and act critically.
Today's leaders face the challenge of leading in an answer-oriented, fix-it-quick world where more people clamor for fast answers. Responding to such pressures will cast them adrift, as they'll move away from long-term solutions toward real problems.
Statements alone do not lead to deep thinking; rather, questions ultimately lead to breakthroughs in productivity or innovation. The quiet distinctions and fresh perspectives gained by questions reveal new possibilities.
Too few leaders lead with questions. They tend to dictate or debate rather than inquire and dialogue. Most leaders are unaware of the amazing power of questions, and how they can generate short-term results and long-term learning. Most disasters share a common thread-the inability or unwillingness of the participants and leaders to raise questions about their concerns. Some group members may fear that only they have an isolated concern. Others feel that if they ask the question, it would be considered a dumb question-and they would be put down.
Several years ago, Michael Hammer examined why 
Wal-Mart overcame Sears, why Pan Am became extinct, and why Howard Johnson was beaten by McDonald's, Burger King, and KFC. These failures shared a common cause-leaders did not ask the probing questions that might have led them to challenge their assumptions, refresh their strategies, and change their ways.
Power of Questions
Great leaders use questions to encourage full participation and teamwork, to spur innovation and out-of-the box thinking, to empower others, to build relationships with customers, to solve problems, and to change culture. Questions wake up people. They prompt new ideas. They show people new places, new ways of doing things. They help us become more confident communicators.
The questioner has two mind-sets: the learner and the judge.
* In the learner mind-set, the questioner seeks to be responsive to circumstances. Thus, she is more likely to think objectively and strategically. The learner mind-set seeks and creates solutions, and relates to others in a win-win manner. Leaders with a learning mind-set tend to be more optimistic and presuppose new possibilities, a hopeful future, and sufficient resources. They exude optimism, possibilities, and hope. They're flexible, thoughtful, and accepting. They operate in a collaborative and innovative mode. They encourage people to be flexible, open to new possibilities, and less attached to their opinions and the need to be right. Such leaders strengthen people's awareness of their choices and responsiblity for their thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and outcomes.
 | |
* The judge mind-set is reactive. It leads to over-emotional thinking and behavior. Leaders with the judge mind-set tend to be more automatic and absolute in their actions; they emphasize negativity, pessimism, stress, and limited possibilities. The focus is more on problems than on solutions. Judging questions are inflexible and judgmental. For the judger, questions are more likely to be reactive to the situation and lead to automatic reactions, limitations, and negativity. Judging questions result in win-lose relating as they often operate in an "attack or defend" paradigm. Such questioners often deny self-responsibility and search for other people or circumstances for blame. Leaders with the judging mentality believe they know the answers already anyway.
Despite questioning being a critical competency, few leaders practice the art of asking questions for three reasons: 1) a negative experience with asking or answering questions that has generated a fear and discomfort with inquiry; 2) a lack of skills in asking or answering questions based upon lack of experience and opportunity, lack of training, and limited or no models; and 3) cultures that discourage questions, especially those that challenge existing assumptions and policies.
Art of Asking Questions
A key for leaders in asking questions is contextual. What do I want my questions to accomplish? Avoid using disempowering questions-ones that are negative, put people into a defensive mode, and drain energy. The "what's wrong" questions threaten self-esteem and discourage honesty, creativity, and collaboration.
Empowering questions get people to think and discover answers, thus developing responsibility and transference of ownership for results. So instead of asking what went wrong, ask questions that focus on what has gone well, what could be done, how it could be improved. Focus on improvement and learning, not complaining and venting. By being open-minded, you encourage a broader range of response.
When asking questions, focus on the questioner and the question-not on other concerns. You can't listen and think of the next thing that you are going to ask or say. Ask questions that open new possibilities, explore perceptions and assumptions, and provide ways of evaluating the same data. You must be genuinely curious and not make people feel that they are being judged, interrogated, or manipulated.
Try to ask one question at a time. Don't overwhelm or confuse people by asking several questions at once. Allow for a response before asking the next question. Many of us tend to ask questions one after another for three reasons: 1) to maintain control of floor, 2) because we may not be sure when we may get the next chance to ask a question, 3) because we have not thought through the question, or want to control the response. Such a questioning approach leads to responses of poor quality. People may resist multiple questions. Impatient questioners ask flurries of questions with more a desire to control than to seek the truth.
Don't rush your responses. Allow for reflection time when formulating questions. Not all questions need to be answered immediately. Give people time to mull over your request for information and develop some ideas. Putting them under a tight deadline inhibits open-minded thinking. Tune permitting, it's better to say, "Let's get together in a few days and bounce this around. In the meantime, give it some thought and make a few suggestions."
The quality of the response is affected not only by the content of the question, but also by its manner of delivery, especially its pace and timing. Try to maintain a steady pace. Do not let your eye contact waiver and don't be afraid of silence. Silence tells the other person that you expect her to respond and to continue. Providing time and silence allows the other person to dig deeper into her thought process to answer the question.
Leaders may feel compelled to give constructive feedback rather than ask positive questions. If constructive feedback is needed, ask people what they think should be worked on. People are usually aware of their shortcomings. You can then suggest working on the most beneficial one or two. This makes you a coach, not a judge.
When asking questions, don't shout. Often the softer the question, the more powerful it is. Use encouragers such as "I didn't know; tell me more."
Say "thank you" when you get a response. You'll likely get more and deeper answers the next time you ask. It is much harder to ask skillful questions than to give advice.
Leaders who are unaware of the potential of questions needlessly engage in a fractious, pressure-filled existence. Leaders who lead with questions will create a more humane workplace as well as a more successful business. Leaders who use questions truly empower people and change organizations.
ACTION: Ask more and better questions.
| [Author Affiliation] |
| Michael J. Marquardt is director of the Global Institute for Action Learning and a professor at George Washington University. Email mjmq@aol.com. |
My Research
