Power of Asking Questions

The Art of Leadership

Need new ideas, alternative methods, and perspectives?  Trying to get associates more involved or invested into a project?  All of these areas involve leadership.  By practicing asking questions, you can more easily accomplish your goals with efficiency and assistance never before enjoyed – if you listen.

Asking questions engages the other person in a way instruction does not. When people see that their opinions are not only sought after but valued, their level of involvement increases. There are many answers to the same question, some are even wonderful. However, to get at these alternatives you have to discover what ideas and reactions are in other people’s minds.  Asking questions is the only way.

Asking questions is a great management and leadership tool. Asking questions lets people tell a different story than the one you’re expecting. Questions mean people have to make their own case for the way they want things to go.  Making their case places them in the position of answering the big questions:

• How do you see this problem?
• What are we missing?
• Is there another way of tackling this? Why are we trying it this way?
• How would we solve this if we were the customer?
• This task is addressing what audience? Applicants? Clients? Prospects? Everyone?
• How will we capture that audience?
• What picture do we want this experience to paint? How do we accomplish it?
• What is your plan?

By asking questions you are doing two things: You’re making them aware they should have a plan, and they are in charge of their portion of the plan.

Your questions can quietly transmit values more powerfully than a direct statement