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
I liked how this weekly tip encourages asking better questions because it feels like a simple but powerful idea we can all use more often in work and life. When I had a packed schedule last semester I paid someone to take my online Statistics Class so I could carve out time to think more deeply and improve how I ask questions in projects and discussions, and that really helped me grow. It reminded me that curiosity and thoughtful questions can open up new paths in learning.Personal Growth
I read the tip about how asking better questions helps you learn more and that idea really stuck with me because I used to just guess answers in class without thinking. In one tough group task I even used assignment help for Business students as something I had tried to help me understand what questions to ask and it felt like learning to speak up more. It made me think better questions bring better learning.
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