Successful leaders love questions
Pia Lauritzen, author of several books about leadership and questions says that asking questions and listening to the questions of others helps leaders make better decisions.
Albert Einstein argued that asking questions should focus on resolving issues rather than obtaining answers. He allegedly said, "If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the appropriate question to ask, for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes."
Following Einstein's example is a great way to be a leader who solves the correct challenges at the appropriate time, but there is both an art and science to asking questions in business. The art of asking questions involves understanding the context and tone in which the questions are being asked, and being able to read the reactions of the person you are questioning.
The science of asking questions in the workplace involves understanding the types of questions that are most effective for eliciting specific types of information, and being able to structure and phrase questions in a way that will lead to the most useful responses. Additionally, there are some techniques like open-ended questions that can be used to get the desired information.
Asking closed-ended questions as an example (those that only allow for a "yes" or "no" answer) can make an employee feel like their input is not valued or that their opinion does not matter.
Pia Lauritzen believes that the ‘magical question Triangle’ is a powerful tool that works to systematically build an inquiry-driven culture. Adding Kyocera’s philosophy of aligned mental vectors into this data driven and inquiry-driven culture, we can powerfully unite toward victory and success. When we align our efforts and understand the value of a data-driven business where we can collectively identify patterns, trends, and insights, we can make informed business decisions that produce amazing results.
Managers can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their decision-making process by learning and teaching the art of asking questions.
Paul Wendlandt - Interim General Manager - KYOCERA Document Solutions South Africa
