How Managers Can Use Questions to Help People Develop

I have always been told I ask too many questions!

It’s probably true as I’m curious by nature and I like to understand what’s really going on, rather than jumping to the first solution that comes to mind. I guess, I am actively curious because I want to get right to the heart of an issue to really add value. Over the years, both working in-house and as a consultant, I’ve come to realise just how powerful a good question can be, as it can open up a conversation. and help give someone the space to work something out for themselves.

One of my favourite quotes I have used in various training programmes over the years is:

“If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions.” Albert Einstein.

It sounds obvious asking someone to slow down and understand the problem before trying to fix it but I think we often do the opposite, particularly when we’re busy.

What if we asked a few more questions?

When I’ve worked with managers, one of the things they often find difficult is knowing what to ask in those development, performance or check-in conversations. It can feel easier to have an agenda, give some feedback and move on, but asking some open questions can create a very different conversation. Here are some useful questions managers can ask:

·       What is happening in your world? (Anything that could impact their performance?)

·       Which areas of your current job do you feel you need most support with?

·       What would help you do your job better?

·       How can I support you as your manager?

·       What support/resources have you used in the past that have been helpful?

·       What would you do differently in the future?

Perhaps we need to get a little more comfortable with not having the answer, which is often difficult when leaders and managers are working through ongoing change and ambiguity. I think this is one of the reasons I value coaching so much, as it has taught me the importance of being curious before being certain. Not every conversation needs to be a coaching conversation, but there is something useful about bringing a little more curiosity into the way we talk to people, especially when we're trying to understand what someone needs to learn, what might be getting in their way, or how we can support them to perform at their best.

If you are interested in understanding more about how coaching can help managers and leaders atyour organisation, I’d be happy to have a conversation: nicola@nicolabutcherpsychology.co.uk.