Have you ever been given unsolicited advice? How did it help you? Did it make you feel annoyed or stupid?
In the last 5 years, I have seen this annoyance show up randomly as I work with various clients. It seems to stem from those with an honest desire to help but their efforts can result in adverse reactions. The quote, “Nothing FOR me without me” is meant to emphasize the idea that asking deeper QUESTIONS is important before deciding what is GOOD for someone. Asking good questions helps you to be a better leader. The more you learn to listen, the better your questions become. And the more questions you ask, the more you can understand the real problem you are trying to solve.
Here’s why asking questions is important:
- Questions help uncover the challenges you are facing and generate better solutions to solve those challenges. Sometimes we give our first answer and race on without digging any deeper.
- Questions help uncover the available capacity and potential of those you lead. A good question can often cause an “A-HA” moment to happen, which will lead to innovation and growth.
- Questions keep you in learning mode, rather than assumption or judgement mode. When you learn to ask questions, you will not feel rushed to provide the solution, provide the answer, or take on the challenge.
Learning to ask good questions is the sign of a leader bought into the development of their staff as well as the team.
If you’re interested in learning more about how to ask good questions, or to schedule a session please see our website at www.humanpotentialadvisors.com!
