Leadership: How to Ask the Right Questions

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But the best minds in the organization will leave for places where they can take more risks, receive more credit, and learn more. And your ability to stay abreast of everyone's concerns will eventually wane, especially as the organization grows. Learn to distrust your own certainty and to trust your co-workers. Resist the urge to make others' decisions and they will stop relying on you to do their work. Moreover, the good people will stick around to grow with you.

What does Just Ask Leadership look like in practice?

It takes a while for leaders not to ask leading questions. They find it hard to resist providing answers—which may save time in the short run but doesn't harness the intellectual power of the organization at large or motivate co-workers to achieve their best. When Just Ask Leadership is working, though, questions are heartfelt invitations to contribute and collaborate. They are open-ended and diverse. They no longer feel like commands in disguise.

What types of questions should I use and under what circumstances?

Questions typically fall into one of four categories. Two are process-based: Perspective and Evaluative. Two are outcome-based: Action and Knowledge.

Perspective Questions: In the brainstorming process, it's important to take stock of one's perspective and to consider others'. The goal of these questions is to broaden horizons and explore possibilities. Example: "What new products are our competitors introducing and why?"

Evaluative Questions: The evaluative process narrows the focus by measuring against standards. The goal here is to form conclusions, prioritize actions, and create alignment. Example: "Why didn't you meet your expectations for last quarter?"

Action Questions: These questions focus on future outcomes. They attempt to motivate others, generate experience, and build accountability. Example: "How might you improve job performance without increasing costs?"

Knowledge Questions: Here the focus is on understanding current or past states. The goal is to interpret information and reach consensus about the effects of past actions. Example: "What did we learn from the customer-service survey with regard to e-mail contact preferences?"

Naturally, the situation will dictate what type of question you ask, but knowing the type of question you're asking serves several functions:

1. Your intent will be clearer to co-workers;

2. You can shift to a different type of question when a discussion stalls;

3. You learn to recognize what types of questions your co-workers respond to best.

What are the right questions to ask?

The right questions rely on the leader's ability to communicate authentic interest in learning the answer. They come from a place of not knowing. The right questions are open-ended, carry the possibility of true discovery, and demonstrate a willingness to share and bestow credit.

Gary B. Cohen, partner and founder of CO2 Partners, a global executive coaching consultancy, is author of the new book Just Ask Leadership: Why Great Managers Always Ask the Right Questions. Cohen believes that to get better results, all you have to do is ask. Please visit www.justaskleadership.com for more information and a free leadership-style assessment.

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