SamTastic Weekly Tip: 10/7/19 - Ask Better Questions
- Jim Mercer
- Oct 7, 2019
- 2 min read
This week’s tip: Ask Better Questions
Asking better questions will make you a far better leader. In other words: “If you want dramatically better answers the key is to ask a better question. -Hal Gregerson, Wall Street Journal
Gregerson suggests:
1. Understand what kinds of questions spark creativity. A leader who wants to unleash the creativity in others reframes the problem and invites exploration and new ideas. “What are you wrestling with and how can I help?”
2. Make yourself generate new questions. Instead of commenting on something you observe, ask a question. Be intensely curious.
3. Respond with the power of the pause. Wait, think and ask what the other person thinks. Respond with a question, rather than a statement. When a person asks you what they think they almost always have their own idea. Ask what it is before sharing your own. This builds trust and show interest. It demonstrates that you value what others think.
4. Brainstorm questions. When you are stuck ask your team to brainstorm ideas and questions. This simple strategy often results in great ideas and even better questions.
5. Reward your Questioners. Your job isn’t to have the answer—it is to build the capacity of the people with whom you work. Make clear you value the questions people raise— especially when they don’t match your own thinking. Your response to different ideas will show your team what you value. Do you really value collaborative work? Then you must be willing to accept new ideas and show curiosity—never dismissal.
Instead of saying what you think, ask, instead:
What do you think?
What worked?
What didn’t work?
What would you like to modify next time?
Who else would you like to talk with about other things to try?
What else have you tried?
What would you like to try next?
This week’s short dashboard video is on the bottom middle chart, Instructional descriptors. Take a look at this short video to see how to use this part of the dashboard to generate great questions: http://bit.lv/30QJuG5
The “power of the pause” really stuck with me—I’ve been trying to respond with a question instead of jumping to solutions, and it changes the whole conversation. Also love the reframe of “What are you wrestling with and how can I help?” as a creativity spark. By the way, I keep a free in-stock availability finder I like to share: it’s been handy for tracking down supplies when stores seem empty. https://stock-finder.net/
The idea of asking better questions is particularly useful when discussing education and career decisions, because labels can sometimes create more confusion than clarity. A qualification’s level indicates its academic or professional standing, but it does not necessarily tell the whole story about what type of award it is or what progression it supports. This distinction becomes important when comparing postgraduate study, professional qualifications, and workplace-based routes, especially when different institutions use terms such as diploma, certificate, or degree. For anyone exploring whether is level 7 a degree, looking beyond the title and checking the qualification framework, awarding body, entry requirements, and progression opportunities can provide a much clearer picture. Applying the “ask better questions” approach here could mean asking…
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