All the leaders I know have at least one need in common: to connect honestly with others. One way to foster stronger connections is by asking good questions.Leaders who excel at this are able to cut to the heart of the matter in a way that disarms the other person and facilitates genuine conversation. Let’s look at several ways to ask better questions:
— BE CURIOUS. Executives who do all the talking are deaf to the needs of others. Sadly,some managers think that being the first and last person to speak is a sign of strength. In reality, though, it’s the opposite.
— BE OPEN-ENDED. Leaders should ask questions that encourage people to reveal not simply what happened, but also what they were thinking. Open-ended questions prevent you from making snap judgments and can elicit some surprising answers.
— BE ENGAGED. When you ask questions, act like you care. Yes, act; use affirmative facial expressions and engaged body language to demonstrate interest. This sets up further conversation and gets the individual to reveal potentially important information.
— DIG DEEPER. Executives frequently assume all is well if they have not heard bad news. Big mistake. It may mean employees are afraid to offer up anything but good news, even if it means stonewalling. So when revealing information surfaces in your dialogue, dig for details without straying into recrimination. Get the whole story. Remember, problems on your team are, first and foremost, your problems.
Asking good questions in the spirit of honest information gathering and eventual collaboration is good practice for leaders. It cultivates an environment where employees feel comfortable discussing issues that affect both their performance and that of the team. And that, in turn, creates a foundation for deepening levels of trust.
John Baldoni is a leadership keynote speaker, executive coach and executive educator.
HBR
