{"id":26016,"date":"2017-01-13T17:48:00","date_gmt":"2017-01-14T01:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/careersingovernment.com\/tools\/?p=6301"},"modified":"2017-01-26T17:56:10","modified_gmt":"2017-01-27T01:56:10","slug":"great-leaders-ask-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/gov-talk\/career-advice\/on-the-job\/great-leaders-ask-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Great Leaders Ask Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Excerpted from \u201cGreat Leaders ASK Questions \u2013 A Fortune 100 List\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cLeadership is not as much about knowing the right answers, as it is about knowing the right questions.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Are you familiar with T.A.? You are probably familiar with A.A. \u2013 Alcoholics Anonymous. Well, T.A. stands for \u201cTellers Anonymous!\u201d<\/p>\n

I have an addiction \u2013 I am addicted to telling! At T.A. meetings I stand up and introduce myself: \u201cMy name is Bob and I am a teller.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, I am a recovering teller. However, the temptation to \u201clead by telling\u201d has never left me.<\/p>\n

You could say that my e-book \u2013 sharing my favorite questions with you \u2013 is part of my recovery program, as is my blog:\u00a0LeadingWithQuestions.com<\/strong><\/a>. \u00a0Leading with questions takes preparation, intentionality, discipline and practice. Good news! If I can move from telling to asking, so can you!<\/p>\n

My Favorite Questions:<\/span><\/h4>\n

What do you think?<\/h4>\n

If you were in a row boat with your team, how many of them would you want to have row? Might your answer be all of them? How happy would you be if you ended up being the only one rowing? \u00a0Probably not so much.<\/p>\n

Why then would you want to tackle the challenges, opportunities, problems, and changes needed in\u00a0your company by telling your staff what they should do? Why would you not want to get all their oars in the water by asking them, \u201cWhat do you think?\u201d This one simple step has the potential to notably increase your leadership effectiveness!<\/p>\n

How do you feel when your boss, colleague, or friend asks you: \u201cWhat do you think about this challenge or opportunity?\u201d<\/p>\n

Valued? Respected? Esteemed? Appreciated?<\/p>\n

How might those you supervise, your colleagues, or your friends feel when you ask them: \u201cWhat do you think about this challenge, opportunity, or issue?\u201d<\/p>\n

No time to learn a new skill?<\/h4>\n

Maybe you are like many folks I meet, who share that they would love to learn to \u201cLead With Questions,\u201d but are not sure they have time to learn this new skill.<\/p>\n

I share with them that I can teach them how to do so in less than 30 seconds! All they have to do is memorize these 4 questions:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. What do you think?<\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. What else?<\/strong><\/li>\n
  3. What else?<\/strong><\/li>\n
  4. What else?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Can you now close your eyes and repeat back these 4 questions? Congratulations! You are on your way to leading with questions \u2013 and in less than 30 seconds!<\/p>\n

    You will find that sometimes the greatest thoughts will come from the third time you ask, \u201cWhat else?\u201d When others feel your appreciation for their responses, they begin to feel safe to share their very best thoughts. And you will be the beneficiary!<\/p>\n

    Would you like to know the 4 questions one consultant uses to make a six figure income?<\/h4>\n
      \n
    1. \u201cWhat is going well?\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n
    2. \u201cWhat\u2019s not?\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n
    3. \u201cWhere are you stuck?\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n
    4. \u201cWhat needs to change?\u201d<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      He shares that the order above is very important, and starting with \u201cWhat is going well?\u201d is absolutely essential. In fact, he will spend half of the time on question one, because the time he spends cheering their successes is what creates a safe environment for asking questions two through\u00a0four.<\/p>\n

      Brainstorming Freeze?<\/h4>\n

      Has your team ever gotten stuck in brainstorming what might be the best possible ways forward? Would you like a backup question that will instantly get them un-stuck? \u00a0Here it is:<\/p>\n

      \u201cHow can we do this (whatever your team needs to do) in a way that will guarantee its failure?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

      Your team will invariably not only begin to answer \u2013 but they will also enjoy this almost comic exercise.<\/p>\n

      After they have compiled a sure-fire list of how to guarantee failure, then ask item by item:<\/p>\n

      \u201cWhat, then, do we need to do to guarantee success?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

      One Word Questions?<\/h4>\n

      Another effective form of questioning is to simply listen for emotionally charged words and then repeat them with a questioning inflection in your voice. For example:<\/p>\n