The way you ask questions determines your level of management

Do you still remember what was the last 'good question' you heard, which left a deep impression on you, and even enlightened you?

If we haven't thought about it yet, we can also recall what are the most common questions we hear in our daily work?

For example, how is the progress of the work? When is the expected completion time? What is the reason? What difficulties are there? What support is needed? Some friends also said that the most common question they hear is: Are you there?

However, we usually do not refer to these common problems as' good questions'.

What exactly constitutes a 'good question'? How can I ask a 'good question'?

01What constitutes a good problem

We can try to take stock of classic questions in business management.

In the 1980s, Intel suffered heavy losses in its memory business, but due to emotional and silent costs, the company was very conflicted about whether to give up decisively or persevere?

Andy Grove, the CEO of the company, asked Gordon Moore a good question: "If we step down and choose another Vice President, what do you think he would do

Moore thought for a moment and replied, 'He will give up the memory business.' This question strengthened Moore's determination to slash the memory with his sword.

General Electric CEO Jack Welch once asked Mr. Drucker how to lead the company to glory, but Mr. Drucker did not directly answer this question. Instead, he posed two new questions:

If you haven't entered this industry yet, will you enter today

If the answer is no, what action will you take

These two questions inspired Welch to propose the "number one" strategy.

In the book 'This is Your Ship', the new captain hopes to improve management and set an example by leading by example, so he repeatedly asks himself four questions:

Did I clearly tell the other person his goal?

Have I given the other party enough time and resources to achieve this goal?

Have I received the necessary training for it?

Has my behavior/thinking habit had a negative impact on it?

This set of questions has helped countless new managers improve management and build trust in unfamiliar teams.

Microsoft CEO Nadella once asked three questions to team members:

How can I utilize the existing achievements of the company to improve the work efficiency of individuals or teams?

What have I done and created for myself?

What have I done to help others or teams?

And these three issues, discussed from the perspectives of efficiency, results, and impact, have also been included by Huawei as a guide for improving employee performance.

Classic questions like this are welcome to be shared together in the comments section.

So, what constitutes a good question? In my opinion, two major characteristics need to be met:

One is to be able to hit the nail on the head and point out the main contradiction

For example, if a subordinate fails to perform their duties effectively, the first reaction of a mediocre manager is usually to blame, "How did you handle this? Can't you handle this matter well?" However, excellent managers often reflect on themselves and first judge whether the work goals are expressed clearly. If they do not express themselves clearly, then this is the main contradiction in solving the problem.

The second is to inspire thinking and guide each other to find answers.

A good question is not that we are "asking" each other, but that we are using our knowledge and logic to try to inspire each other and guide others to think independently through the form of asking questions.

In the field of management, coaching technology especially emphasizes questioning, hoping that we can raise strong questions through training, and even in some jokes, "Yuan Fang, what do you think?" has become a typical representative of coaching questioning technology.

However, is this really a good question? No, no, "what do you think" just kick the ball back to the other side, although it can "force" the other side to continue to think, but did not give inspiration, no guidance, so it is difficult to let people jump out of the inherent thinking framework and the established level of cognition, also called not a good question.

02Management needs good problems

Hal Gregson, director of the MIT Leadership Center, believes that the most important leadership skill of the future is "asking questions".

Moreover, in his interviews with business managers, Professor Ge also found a common phenomenon:

Most organizations do not attach importance to the ability to ask questions, but only the ability to give correct answers. Most enterprises will employ people who can "answer questions". These people can also be promoted because they are good at answering questions. However, once they become team managers, it is not enough to only answer questions. They need to be able to ask good questions. Only in this way can they lead the team and create the future.

In my last job, I experienced an unforgettable question.

At that time, the company hoped that the core team could reach a consensus on the strategic objectives for the next stage, so it specially invited a teacher to preside over the workshop. One of the links was to discuss and revise the "ten major events" in the company's development process in groups. The teacher asked the questions, and the students answered on the spot. Most of the employees present were old employees and experienced the company's growth and development. What is the difficulty in answering this question?

Before long, the four groups handed in papers one after another, summarizing many "firsts" with a high degree of similarity, such as: the first store opening, the first quarterly revenue exceeding one million, the first time entering other cities, the first time holding a large-scale brand event, the first time winning the commendation of the competent department, the first time obtaining financing... Everyone is very good at answering questions.

After the report was completed, the teacher took the stage and should have started comments, but at that time he did not say a word, and his brow was furrowed, staring at the report materials, thinking for a long time, the students at the scene felt wrong, gradually silent, suddenly heard the teacher ask questions:

"What principles do you choose these things and regard them as the 'big thing' of enterprise development milestones? Behind this choice, what do you really care about and want? Are all kinds of 'firsts' what you care about and want?"

This question is very sharp. No one at the scene dared to answer this question, but it seemed like a thunder that made everyone rethink and realize the key problem.

Then the teacher asked the second question:

"If we were not an employee of the company, but a customer who knows the company very well, what big things would we choose for this company?"

Through this question, the teacher hopes to guide the students to think about the problem from the perspective of customer value.

Excellent managers are not only good at finding problems and finding the crux of team management, but also good at asking good questions. They can not only lead the team in the right direction, but also give full play to the talents of team members, so that everyone can think unconsciously and independently.

03How to ask a good question?

Questions can be divided into many categories. Some questions are to clarify the facts and understand the situation. For example, the superior asked us, how is the progress now?

Some questions are to release emotions and express dissatisfaction, such as various rhetorical questions and questions. Why are you not me for promotion and salary increase?

Some questions are to express opinions and give suggestions. For example, if it is impossible to go west, what about going east?

Then, there are some questions to point out contradictions and inspire thinking. The author believes that in team management, only problems that can point out contradictions and inspire thinking can be counted as a good problem.

Then, according to our standard of "good questions", asking questions can be divided into two processes:

Process 1: Point out the contradiction and judge where the problem lies.

1) Sound the problem alarm

As the saying goes, no problem is the problem. In team management, we are in a familiar environment, facing the same people, similar things, and relatively fixed process standards. For many real business problems and management problems, we are often unaware, accustomed, and submissive, just like In the discussion on ten major events, if the teacher did not wake up with a word, the students did not realize what value orientation was revealed behind these choices.

In the book "Learning to Ask Questions", the author strongly recommends that we cultivate "critical thinking", or more vividly, "gold-panning thinking". For the content and opinions expressed by others, we should also sound the problem alarm. It is not like a sponge to absorb water, but to consciously distinguish. For real gold and silver, we must keep it, and for other silts, we must wash and criticize it.

2) Prepare a list of questions

The question list is essentially the thinking mode for us to analyze the problem, and through the form of the list, this kind of thinking is presented in a rigorous, systematic and visual way, and constantly adjusted and optimized.

In the field of education, in order to improve the reading comprehension ability of junior students, educationists have compiled a list of questions, such as "what does the text mainly say", "how many layers can the text be divided into? How is it organized", "what is the meaning of the text" and "what can the text inspire you to do". Children can gradually establish a new mode of thinking by remembering these questions in sequence.

In the field of enterprise management, our ancestors have also summarized many question lists, which are usually reflected in the form of "models", such as GROW model, PDCA cycle, etc. Ali has a local saying, "no matter how the organization changes, six boxes run once", which is to compile a question list according to the analysis framework of "six boxes" to help us diagnose organizational problems.

Only by accurately analyzing the problem can it be possible to ask a good question that hit the nail on the head.

Process 2: Inspire to think and express through questions.

1) Master the question formula: the key problem traction problem

What is the "key issue?

It is the main contradiction that we found through analysis in the last process.

For example, the goal is not clear enough, an important aspect is missed, the position is deviated, there is self-limiting, there is no closed loop of work, etc.

After discovering the key problems, if we directly express our opinions and make comments, such as telling the other party "I think your goal is not clear enough" or "I think you are not thinking from the customer's standpoint", although this expression is frank and clear, the other party's heart will usually "thump" and feel uncomfortable after hearing it, even triggering his defensive psychology and not listening to any suggestions, so we need to use the "towing problem".

What is the "traction problem?

The most common questions that can lead the other party to think actively are "What-what/what" and "How-how/how".

For example, the key problem is that the work goal is not clear enough, so it can be either "Goal What", what specific goals do you want to achieve through this project? It can also be "Goal How", now we need to further clarify the project goal, what specific actions do you think can be taken?

Through the traction problem, guide the other side around the key issues of active thinking, active exploration.

2) Develop the habit of asking questions

Professor Gregson shared an example of a conversation between a company executive and her child. Every day after the child came home from school, she would ask the child two questions: "What questions did you ask in school today? What questions did you want to ask but didn't ask?"

If the child takes the initiative to ask questions on the same day, praise, hugs and other rewards will be given.

We can also ask ourselves and the team: "What problems have I noticed in the team management today? Have you found the key problems? Can you guide the subordinates to think actively?"

Insist on using these questions to "assess" ourselves every day. If we do well, we will also enjoy it. Seeing positive feedback from team members will gradually improve the level of questioning and form the habit of asking questions.

04Summary

Voltaire said: "I judge a person by the questions he raises, not by the answers he gives."

一个好问题，不仅能够一针见血，点破主要矛盾，而且能够启发思考，引导彼此寻找答案。

“提问”也未来最重要的领导力技能，相对于那些擅长“解答问题”的人，面对未来，组织更需要那些善于“提出问题”的人。

Information source: Enterprise management