Build your executive skills with questions, not answers
Posted on November 4, 2010 by Baxter Dickson
Six ways to help build your leadership skills
I’ve worked with so many leaders – from entrepreneurs to company presidents to first-time managers – who think their job is to have all the answers. They couldn’t be more wrong. First of all, no one has all the answers. Second, and perhaps more important, the all-knowing boss trains employees not to think or speak up. That means the best ideas may never come to the table. Worse, it can drive the best thinkers to leave for jobs where they feel like their talents will make a difference.
Why can it be so hard to let go of control? It’s natural to continue to rely on the strengths that helped you reach your current level of achievement. Being smart, proactive and able to handle a challenge independently are the hallmarks of an achiever. But as the areas of responsibility and the staff grow, a leader has to begin relying on a team and developing them for success.
A key skill in that process is learning how to ask questions. It alerts your team that you actually want input and ideas. And the more skillful you become as a questioner the stronger your team, your solutions and your organization will become. How do you start? Here are some questions – and suggestions:
Yes-or-no questions are no-no’s.
They’ll feel like tests to your colleagues, and they’re likely to try to guess the answers they think you want to hear. Ask open-ended questions that demonstrate invite in dialogue and the search for answers.
Frame the discussion without fencing it in.
In other words, help people focus on a topic, but still promote an open-minded approach. Is the discussion about how to reduce costs or how to move product manufacturing to Asia? Are you really asking about improving customer service or developing a new customer call center? Product improvements or customer complaints? All are valid questions, but which ones will lead to the solution you seek?
Ask follow-up questions.
You’re the most important role model for increasing collaboration. Following the thread of an idea demonstrates that you’re listening and sparks others to get involved. Equally important, it’s that give-and-take process that helps develop the seeds of ideas into workable plans.
Ask: How can we fix this? Not: What went wrong?
In times of trouble unfocused leaders can revert to the old unproductive ways. If you appear to be looking to assign blame, no one will raise a hand. Take the positive approach and you’re more likely to hear solutions.
What does “good” look like?
That’s the question of a favorite engineering executive I know. It’s his way of helping people step out of the box and think a little bigger, not get tangled up in incremental changes to a current situation. He tells me he’s applied it with good success to planning new product lines, settling interdepartmental squabbles, and, he tells me, getting his children to improve their study habits.
Recognize participation, even when it’s off target.
You may reject a suggestion, but don’t reject the team member. You don’t want people to give up and shut down. To encourage participation, some managers make it a factor in employee reviews.
Be sure to thank contributors for their help.
And, remember to share the results, especially with an individual who’s made a significant contribution. You’ll reinforce the value of collaboration and, at the same time, remind yourself that you can – and should – rely on others to excel.
Ready to increase your success and strengthen your team? Remember, the right answer starts with asking the right questions.
Learn more about our executive presence courses and begin today.
Image By milos milosevic
