Are You Giving Your Team Answers?
Bob Tiede has served on the staff of Cru for 55 years and currently serves on its U.S. Leadership Development Team. He is the creator of LeadingWithQuestions.com, where his blog—now in its 14th year—is read by leaders in more than 200 countries. Bob is the author of eight widely read books, including Great Leaders ASK Questions, Now That’s a Great Question!, and Success Unlocked. All eight books are available as free downloads at LeadingWithQuestions.com/books.
Are you giving your team answers?
Or are you asking questions that help them discover better answers?
Many leaders fall into the trap of believing their job is to provide the solution.
After all, if you already know what you want accomplished, why not simply tell people exactly what to do?
The problem is that when leaders prescribe every step, they unintentionally limit the thinking of the people around them. Team members become implementers rather than innovators. They focus on completing an assignment instead of solving a problem.
A better approach is to provide clarity about the desired outcome and then engage people with questions.
Instead of saying, “Here’s the solution,” ask:
- What do you think might be the best way to achieve this result?
- What options should we consider?
- What obstacles do you foresee?
- How might we create even greater value for our customers?
When people are invited to wrestle with the challenge rather than simply execute instructions, ownership increases. Creativity expands. Better ideas emerge.
The leader’s role is not always to have the best answer. Often, it is to ask the best question.
When people are invited to wrestle with the challenge rather than simply execute instructions, ownership increases. Creativity expands. Better ideas emerge.
Organizations that cultivate this kind of thinking gain an advantage because they tap into the collective wisdom of their people. Those that continue relying on top-down directives may get compliance, but they often miss out on insight, initiative, and innovation.
People support what they help create. Questions are one of the most powerful ways to invite them into that process.
“Most leaders were never taught to facilitate conversations – they were taught to dominate them. They learned to have all the answers, not to unlock the collective intelligence already in the room.” Gustavo Razzetti
My friend Terrence Donahue shares, “Your staff may carry out your instructions, but they own only what they help create. Ask them questions, and they’ll own their answers.”
“When people own the problem, not just the task, I’ve found that they bring everything they have to it. They find solutions you wouldn’t have thought to ask for.” Catherine Wolfe
“It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do. We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” ― Steve Jobs
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