Reading Seth Godin’s post on Why ask Why?, made me think of one we wrote some time ago on dealing with employees who ask questions.
Actually, this could be said of anyone – not just employees. So if you’re considering working with someone new this year, or taking on a new member of staff, or working out who to include in a mentoring group – ask yourself this: Is this someone who asks questions a lot? And if so, are they the right sort of questions?
The sort of questions we should be looking for are those that lead to improvements. Seth’s final point; that without “why?” there can be no, “here’s how to make it better.” explains it all.
The right sort of questions are always those that challenge. The ones that seek understanding of why things are the way they are, and how they could be improved.
They can quite often be uncomfortable. They highlight things we could have done better and the tendency is to avoid them – but the very fact that they are uncomfortable is the sign that they are valuable.
So, how about making this year, the year of the question? Ask yourself those awkward questions you really don’t particularly want to ask. Ask for feedback from friends and colleagues. Some of the most valuable feedback I got last year was in response to my requests for feedback. And encourage your clients to ask the right questions. Use 360 feedback, appraisals and informal discussion to get them to increase their awareness this year.
I’m willing to bet that if you do that, you’ll see some transformations by the end of the year.
Photo credit: Margaret Anne Clarke
Article by Vandy Massey
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