“The leader of the past knew how to tell. The leader of the future will know how to ask.” Peter Drucker

Leading with Questions by Michael Marquardt Presented by: Rich Bateman Anna Brown Pam Martinez

Overview The Power of Questions Asking Questions Effectively A Guide for Leaders on Using Questions

The Power of Questions

Underused Management Tool Pressure to provide fast answers Tendency to ask ineffective questions Fear of an unwanted answer Social restrictions on question-asking Inability to see others’ perspectives

In a Questioning Culture… Be willing to admit you don’t know Encourage questions Teach/develop questioning skills Focus on empowering questions Emphasize questions, not answers Reward risk taking efforts

Organizational Benefits of a Questioning Culture Improved decision making and problem solving Greater adaptability and acceptance of organizational change Improved motivation and empowerment of employees Stronger teamwork Enhanced innovation

Individual Benefits of a Questioning Culture Greater understanding and skills in organizational and political realities Stronger commitment to learn and develop Stronger self- leadership Greater self- awareness Greater self- confidence, openness, flexibility Better listening and communication Improved conflict management

Asking Questions Effectively

Trouble with Questions Our desire to protect ourselves We are too often in a rush Lack of skills in asking questions Corporate culture can discourage questions

Unhelpful Questions Disempowering questions Leading questions Multiple questions

Asking the Right Questions Empowering questions Open-ended questions “Why” questions Affective questions Reflective questions Clarifying questions Closed questions

Great Questions Selfless, in the spirit of sharing Asked at the right time Fresh and insightful Both supportive and challenging

The Art of Asking Questions The art of questioning can lead to impressive results, asking inappropriate questions usually closes off learning. Good questions can become great questions when the science of inquiring is blended with the art of questioning.

Learning vs. Judging: The Mindset for Asking Questions Adam (2004) emphasizes, our mindset frames how we see the world. Our Mindset: Programs our limitations Allows us to see our possibilities Defines the parameter of our actions and interactions Our mindset is determinant in the types of questions we ask others and ourselves. Our individual mindset determines how we observe, understand, and accept others and ourselves.

The Learner Leaders who focus on learning rather than judging can be flexible and relate to others. They operate in collaborative and innovative mode. Leads others to: Thinking objectively, Creating solutions, Relating in a win-win way. They ask genuine questions, they don't question something they already know the answer to and never to embarrass someone.

The Judger Leaders who are judgmental put employees on the defensive. Leads others to: Hide their mistakes, Defend their behavior Refusal to ask for help. (Vicious cycle)

Steps in Questioning Process: Break the ice – get the conversation going Set the stage – explain the topic o The point is to let others know where you are coming from Ask what you want to ask o Make sure your questions are empowering rather than disempowering Listen attentively – to the answers o Respect people’s thought process. Most important – Follow up

Creating a Questioning Culture “The goal for the inquiring leader is to change the corporate culture from one of telling to one of asking, to help everyone see and understand that questions need to become their primary communications tool.” (2005)

Strategies to Build a Questioning Culture. Start at the top. Create an environment that enables people to take risks and ask more questions. Connect the values and processes of the organization to the use of questions. Optimize the opportunities to ask questions by building questions into every business activity. Reward and appreciate questioner;promote risk taking and tolerate mistakes. Provide training for people to be better at and more comfortable in asking questions. Each of these strategies reinforces behavior connected to the six hallmarks of a questioning culture.

Make Sure Values and Processes Do Not Conflict with Questions Learning to lead is about discovering what you care about and what you value. What inspires us? What challenges us? What encourages us? How will we handle setbacks & disappointments? What are our strengths and weaknesses? How can we keep motivated and encouraged? Asking these questions will help everyone–a team, a department an entire organization–discover who they really are and what they value as a group.

Provide Training in Questioning Encourage fresh questions by highlighting the benefits of questions and the tragedies caused when questions were not asked (such as the Titanic, Challenger, and Bay of Pigs stories in Chapter 1)

Resistance to a Questioning Culture Leaders who try to build a questioning culture are likely to see two kinds of resistance. Those that are taken aback by a leader who begins asking questions regularly, who are used to the leader tell them answers instead of ask questions. (answer dependency) Other leaders in the organization who are uncomfortable in adopting a questioning style themselves, who see their source of power as stemming from giving answers. (telling dependency)

A Guide for Leaders on Using Questions

Using Questions in Managing People Each question a leader asks can provide a wonderful opportunity for the recipients to become empowered, to do something that they would not do before. Questions have the potential to create confidence, to enhance learning, to develop confidence, to engender insights.

Encouraging Action and Innovation Questions transform problem- and possibility-talk into action as they move people from present to future. To encourage innovation and action, leaders should encourage people to think about their own solutions, instead of giving them solutions to problems.

Questions to Build Leadership “Leadership is…inspiring and showing others new places where they haven’t been earlier. Good leadership is showing the way to self leadership.” Pennti Sydanmaanlakka, former HR director at Nokia

Using Questions to Build Teams Leading Teams as a Coach- Questioner – “G-R-O-W” Encouraging Open Discussion and Debate Energizing Team Meetings Technical and Adaptive types of Problem Solving

Using Questions to Shape Strategy and Enable Change Questions for Customers Questions for Vendors and Partners Questions for the Community Develop, Lead, and Transform the Organization

Two Training Programs for Questioning Leaders Action Learning Leadership - The Leader as an Action Coach Inquiring Leadership - Develop 8 Characteristics for being an Inquiring Leader

Summary Becoming a Questioning Leader Becoming a Leader Who Asks Questions Leading in the Twenty-First Century with Questions Respond to this Question - How can you use this question - ?

“Poor leaders rarely ask questions of themselves or others. Good leaders, on the other hand, ask many questions. Great leaders ask the great questions.” Michael Marquardt