Power of QuestionsMaster the art of 20+ leadership/soft skills

Vishu Hegdevishu@pm-powerconsulting.com

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“The leader of the past knows how to tell. The leader of the future knows how to ask.”

- Peter Drucker

Mechanics of Question What is a ‘Statement’? A ‘Statement’ is a response to some question, either explicit

or implicit

What is a ‘Question’? A question is something which elicits/provokes a response.

How does a Statement end? With a full stop (.) – Closes

How does a Question end? With a Question mark (?) – With anticipation, solicitation;

Opens up

Mechanics of Question

Statement-One way Broadcast -No response-Closes options-Answer is ‘my baby’

Question-Two way communication-Closed-loop system-Opens up possibilities-Answer is ‘your baby’

Ask Listen

ThinkRespond

Ownership, Motivation, Buy-in, Commitment, Energy, Ego fulfillment, …

Key Questions : 5W 1H and 5 Whys

What, Why, When, Where, Who, How Breadth of Problem/Solution

WhyWhyWhyWhyWhy

Dep

th o

f Pro

blem

/Sol

utio

n

Root Cause

Rudyard Kipling's ‘The Serving Men’

I keep six honest serving men, They taught me all I know, Their names are What and Why and When, And How And Where And Who.

- Rudyard Kipling's The Serving Men

Some situations where Questions are a great toolset

Problem Solving (both for Problem Analysis & Solutions): 5W 1H & 5 Whys Creating shared Visioning – ownership, buy-in, motivation Coaching Facilitating Brainstorming Performance Management dialogues Communication (2 way) Creativity & Innovation (inquiry, inquisitiveness) Getting buy-in, culture change management Managing Ego (both self & the other’s) Training, Learning Consulting Customer interfacing Counseling Conflict Management Developing Self-Managed Teams

Questions: The Master Keyfor all Soft Skills

Master the art of asking questions

Interviewing Reviewing Delegating Risk Management For Improvements For Development (Self & Others) …

Context, Intent & Tone of Questions are very important

Context of the Question is very important One needs to ‘sense’ the situation

Intent of Question has to be genuine Manipulative, ‘clever’ questions will have negative impact Artificial questions (diplomatic, ‘wearing a mask’) will fall apart False Questions will create more stress for both the parties

“Tone” of Question (including body language) is crucial - Beware Tone of Question can communicate many things

• - Ignorance - Checking/testing• - Arrogance - Requesting• - Curiosity - Doubting• - Seeking information - Helping, offering• - Challenging - Intimidating• - Dis-respect - Humiliating• ……

Use context setting before the question to make your intent explicit, so that there is no misreading of the question

Types of Questions Open questions

These are useful in getting another person to speak. They often begin with the words: What, Why, When, Who

Sometimes they are statements: “tell me about”, “give me examples of”. They can provide you with a good deal of information.

Closed questions These are questions that require a yes or no answer and are useful for checking facts. They should be

used with care - too many closed questions can cause frustration and shut down conversation. Specific questions

These are used to determine facts. For example “How much did you spend on that?” Probing questions

These check for more detail or clarification. Probing questions allow you to explore specific areas. However be careful because they can easily make people feel they are being interrogated

Hypothetical questions These pose a theoretical situation in the future. For example, “What would you do if…?’ These can be

used to get others to think of new situations. They can also be used in interviews to find out how people might cope with new situations.

Reflective questions You can use these to reflect back what you think a speaker has said, to check understanding. You can

also reflect the speaker’s feelings, which is useful in dealing with angry or difficult people and for defusing emotional situations.

Leading questions. These are used to gain acceptance of your view – they are not useful in providing honest views and

opinions. If you say to someone ‘you will be able to cope, won’t you?’ they may not like to disagree.

Golden Rules of Questions Ask & Get

Even if you know the answer, convert it in to a question and get the answer

You may learn and discover new things which you did not know This builds ownership, participation, buy-in, motivation in the other

person(s)

Ask before Telling ‘Plough before Sowing’ : creates fertility condition to receive

Ask Open-ended Questions Rather than Closed-ended (leading) Questions

Master the Art of Asking Questions

For one week consciously observe and practice using Questions Observe how many times you use questions vs how many times

you give answers/solutions, instructions/directions Resist falling into the temptation of giving answers/solutions

(transcend your ego)

Become more Self-aware and Unlock the potential

Thank you