Leadership: The Power of Asking the Right Questions

By Steve Murphy
Senior Consultant

During a recent conversation with a client, she complained about how things were bad at her company. Projects were behind schedule, recommendations that had been enthusiastically approved 12 months earlier were now the “dumbest decisions” ever made, and the original project team members were under constant attack from the CEO, who was on a rampage to find people to blame for the failure of the project. The sky was falling and nothing seemed to help.

As my client was talking, I was reminded of a time early in my career when I worked for a manager who always wanted to blame somebody for every failure, real or imagined. The results were similar to my client’s poor morale and lack of execution. This led to project failure and an operating environment that was in a constant state of crisis.

I was asked to take over a project that was failing. I began by asking the team, “What will it take to bring this project in on schedule?” We left the meeting with an action plan that enabled us to finish on time and within budget. I noticed that the attitude of each participant changed. As the project progressed, I continued to focus on successfully completing the project, rather than the little things that were going wrong. We finished ahead of schedule and well under budget! I wish I could tell you that I was an enlightened leader who fully understood the power of asking the right questions. The reality is that I was a young, scared MBA without a clue as to what to do. It wasn’t until I became a full-time manager that I was able to fully appreciate and understand what happened during that project.

Consider how the questions listed above make you feel. In an environment where these questions are the norm, folks are typically resistant to change, lack creativity, and are afraid to make decisions. Unfortunately, when organizations find themselves in a crisis, these are often the questions that are asked. The negativity of these questions stifles success at the very time new ideas, energy, and commitments are needed most.

Now, look at a different set of questions—ones that have a positive, forward-looking focus:

These types of questions are powerful tools for bringing out the best in people. Notice how you feel when you read these questions—they are positive and energizing. When forward-looking questions are used, people let down their barriers, communicate openly, and take personal responsibility for the outcome. We tend to move toward whatever we focus on. If we focus on the obstacles, we spend more time addressing the obstacles than moving toward the goal. When we focus on the end goal, we tend to do whatever it takes to get there in the most efficient manner.

I saw this in practice when my children were younger. If I told them not to spill their milk, more often than not, they would spill it. I had focused them on spilling milk. However, when I told them to hold the cup with both hands, they didn’t spill the milk. Their focus was on the outcome I really wanted, not the outcome I was trying to avoid.