WHAT APPEARS TO BE
How effective are you as a leader?
Besides being a good question to ask, this question is intended to demonstrate something powerful. When a question is asked, the mind immediately begins to search for an answer.
It’s a fact: questions trigger the mind. This simple truth has a profound impact because it alters focus.
WHAT MIGHT BE
How are questions used in your workplace? Many people use questions to trap others- to unveil the errors and flaws and inadequacies in others.
A friend, Marc, who lives near Boston, is not your average leader. To elevate his leadership he recently started a meeting by asking, “What are the successes you’re experiencing with this project?”
This is an important question that delivers on many levels. Yet, Marc’s team was not used to questions, so one woman responded with a shrug of her shoulders, “I don’t know the right answer.”
WHAT CAN BE
“I tried to tell her there’s no wrong answers,” Marc said. “That’s when it occurred to me: If I’m going to become an effective leader I’ve got to control my ego. Her response said a lot about how and why I used to ask questions.”
Take this test before asking future questions: What do you plan to do with the information you gain by asking questions? If it’s anything other than serving the person, team, organization and business results, rethink your question.
It’s a test worth taking. Asking the right type of questions is instrumental in allowing a person to engage others, build capabilities, move relationships forward, and deliver stronger results.
What difference do you want to make with your questions?
What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”? You decide.