Asking questions to help employees develop in 2021

I have always been told I ask too many questions!

Asking questions is a powerful tool for building trust, exchanging ideas, improving performance and emotional intelligence. I am actively curious because I want to get right to the heart of an issue. My favourite quote 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.

In my experience working in-house and as an external consultant, asking questions is a skill that is overlooked and vastly underestimated! Especially when leaders and managers are feeling stuck in the midst of uncertainty; asking open questions is key!

A key focus for managers in 2021 is providing effective check-ins, discussing feedback and development purposefully, and supporting positive mental health. All of these conversations require inspiring questions. When I have worked with managers in the past, they have found preparing for these conversations the most difficult. Here are some useful questions I have provided managers in their conversation preparation, to ask their team members:

·       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?

Managers can learn a lot by asking open-ended questions where their direct reports feel heard, respected and more connected. The key message here is for managers to ask questions to aid their conversations with their employees and open the door to ongoing dialogue.

If you are interested in understanding more about how coaching can help you as a manager or organisation, please do get in touch for an introductory call: nicola@nicolabutcherpsychology.co.uk.