ATRQ 2023-1: Inaugural Thought Leadership Post on Learning to Ask the Right Questions (ATRQ) Part of the Strategic Health Leadership (SHELDR) Series

Introduction

To date, books on Asking the Right Questions (ATRQ) in the context of health, social services, and healthcare do not exist or minimal attention is given in the context and process of communicating, listening, or deciding. However, successful health leadership is about more than knowing all the answers. Inherent in this process is learning to ask the right questions (ATRQ), actively listening to answers, engaging others, and making decisions for beneficial outcomes.

This inaugural thought leadership post (TLP), a part of my Strategic Health Leadership (SHELDR) series, launches a personal journey to helping all health-related professionals—healthcare, public health, occupational health, and social services—throughout the world at all levels succeed. It is designed for aspiring health professionals and managers at the early, mid, and senior levels who want create better health outcomes, build an effective health ecosystem, improv themselves as leaders, and accentuate the spirit of constant improvement. Are you in?

Why, What, How…

ATRQs are about connecting, communicating, and persuading others. The Asking the Right Questions (ATRQ) series will provide readers—individuals, leaders, teachers, mentors, coaches, and consultants in all health-related domains—a comprehensive foundation--Why, What, When, How, Timing, Stories, Situations--on how to ask questions effectively and evaluate the answers to create or improve meaningful relations, partnerships, and programs.

Each TLP post will include an introduction, research-based ideas, examples or stories, a summary, discussion questions, references, and keywords. The series combines references and examples from experts in the legal, media, academia, leadership, medical, and psychology fields to create valuable strategies and techniques to ask the right questions. Do you have a story to share to illustrate the power of ATRQs?    

True Story 

When I was a young careerist, a senior health leader approached me at a 1987 Resource Management and Information Systems Symposium at Holiday Inn, Denver, Colorado. While minding my business in the bar, the senior health leader introduced himself. For about 20 minutes, he asked questions and actively listened to my story. Not that my story mattered. To this day, I still remember his sincerity and positivity. He recommended a book: Smart Questions: A Strategy for Successful Managers, by Dorothy Leeds. I read it. I still have it. It became a starting point for my leadership development.  Do you have other recommendations on ATRQs?

It's incredible how our most memorable moments stick with us forever. I can still sense and hear the senior leader's authentic and gregarious communication style. As a mid-careerist, the same senior leader spoke about how to be a successful hospital administrator while attending a hospital administrator course. I took notes, plenty of notes. As I reviewed the notes years later, I was reminded of a terrific book: The Power of Moments, Chip and Dan Health. Specific experiences can jolt us. How did a senior leader jolt you recently with their questions or approach?

Benefits

The senior leader shocked me twice to be a lifelong learner, refine my leadership philosophy, and develop as a strategic thinker. Years later, I still think to myself, where did he learn to ask those questions? Now, I want to pass on my experiences and advice with shorter TLPs on ATRQ.

Eventually, these TLPs will be converted into a publication. The publication will be about developing an inquiring mindset and culture where asking questions is safe, desired, and effective. It will be designed to help professionals and leaders further ask great questions, discern or sort, uncover, inspire, reinforce, motivate, and empower—thus allowing you and others to succeed in their respective positions. Your engagement and feedback will be most appreciated, ok?

Summary

Stay tuned! The TLPs and future publications on ATRQs will offer you a variety of principles, techniques, and strategies for asking questions in the context of health leadership, health system transformation, and personal development or fulfillment. They should help you develop your confidence and reputation as a genuine leader who’s adept at communicating, listening, and making decisions.

Even if the moment with the senior leader resulted from luck, the brief experience influenced me throughout my career. Think about it. His moment with me could have been spent elsewhere. It wasn't. There’s no telling how I would have turned later. He died a few years back. I regret I did not telling THANKS. I'm grateful to him and other leaders for their moments as well. I hope to pass on some of the same wisdom to you and others. This is my way of giving back and saying THANKS to Colonel (Ret) Jack Murphy, former Air Force Medical Service Corps Chief.

Now, I challenge you to ask your senior health leaders a few questions or ask yourself, can I do better at ATRQs?

May I ask you a few questions?

1.    What jolted you as you read this TLP on ATRQs?

2.    Do you have an ATRQ story to share?

3.    Would ATRQs satisfy a leader development need in your organization?

4.    If given the opportunity, are you prepared to ask the right questions of a senior health leader to make you a better leader? Solve an issue? Get direction?

5.    What ATRQ topics should be pursued?

References – a mix of books, articles, links

1.    Book: Good Leaders Ask Great Questions: Your Foundation for Successful Leadership Paperback,  October 7, 2014, John C. Maxwell

2.    Book: Doesn't Hurt to Ask: Using the Power of Questions to Communicate, Connect, and Persuade, Trey Gowdy

3.    Article: The Surprising Power of Questions, Alison Wood Brooks and Leslie K. John Harvard Business Review, May-June 2018     

Key Words

Questions, health, leader, leadership, story

About the Author: Douglas E. Anderson, Colonel (Ret), USAF, MSC, DHA, MBA, FACHE--Strategic Leadership, Management, Communication | Integrator | Executive Coach | Facilitator | Educator | Author

Douglas E. Anderson is a health administrator, executive coach, strategist, and thought leader with 35+ years of experience (CEO, strategist, strategic communication, policy analyst, CQI, development) in federal, academic, and international health settings. Today, his passion is helping community stakeholders identify gaps, needs, and sustainable solutions to improve individual, family, and community health. He's dedicated to building integrated, accountable, and collaborative community health systems. He's adept at facilitating groups, developing leaders, building deep impact networks, and convening meetings to leverage the social drivers of health (SDOH) and implementing strategies to achieve better health and economic outcomes. He is the Chair, Health Work Group, Eastern Panhandle Health and Human Services Collaborative. He is co-author of Primer on Systems Thinking For Healthcare Professionals and Systems Thinking for Health Organizations, Leadership, and Policy: Think Globally, Act Locally. He has published several articles and commentaries and is a frequently requested guest speaker and lecturer on health policy, leadership, and transformation. He has served as the Chair, Health Administration Press, American College of Healthcare Executives, and the USAF Medical Service Corps (MSC) Association. Subscribe to his Strategic Health Leadership e-Magazine. Join the conversation on the WV Health Solutions Team Facebook page. His thoughts are his own and do not represent any organization. Additional references and citations are available upon request. He lives in Martinsburg, WV. Contact him on LinkedIn or email: douglas.e.anderson57@gmail.com to discuss ideas.

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