6 Tips for Asking the Right Questions

We’ve just concluded our 2022 Lead Her Up Retreat. One thing all the participants agreed on…being a leader isn’t always easy. The pressure of knowing what to do and how to do it can be overwhelming.

The good news is that you don’t have to have all the answers. In fact, it’s better that you don’t.

Here’s why: When you come to the conversation with a question rather than an answer, you open the door to new possibilities. Asking questions also invites your team to take ownership of the solution.

We’ve discovered that the better we get at asking questions, the more successful our team and our business become.

As leadership guru John Maxwell says, “Good questions inform – great questions transform.”

Here are six tips for asking great questions:

Keep questions open-ended – Open-ended questions are more empowering and expansive than questions that call for “yes” or “no” answers. Open-ended questions invite the team to think more deeply and engage more fully.

Encourage exploration – Ask follow-up questions using phrases such as “and then what?” or “say more about that.”

Avoid editorial responses –The idea of asking empowering questions is to get the maximum input from the greatest number of people. If you feel the need to grade every response before moving on to the next, you’ll shut down the conversation too quickly.

Ask one question at a time – Rapid-fire, machine gun style questions lead to confusing responses. Team members need to know what you’re really asking in order to provide the best input they can.

Don’t telegraph your opinion –Team members naturally want to please the leader…and the other team members. If you over-explain the question or offer too much information, it will become clear that what you’re really asking for is agreement, rather than input.

Keep asking –Be willing to keep the conversation going until everyone has had a chance to weigh in. Don’t let the need for a quick answer get in the way of getting a great answer.

You’ll be a more successful leader when you give up the pressure to have all the answers. Instead, become skilled at asking great questions.

You’ll open the door to transformation for yourself and your business.