Question Your Way to Commitment

“Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers” – Voltaire

High impact leaders ask lots of questions. Why? Well, for one, if you want your team to execute you need buy-in.

I often talk about the power of communication in creating buy-in. How, as leaders, you must message your vision in a clear and compelling way, need to repeat strategic objectives regularly, share wins and client testimonials, etc. That communication is founder to team.

Now, let’s talk about communication in the other direction, team to founder. How do you create that flow? Ask questions. Practice active listening. Asking for feedback, opinion, ideas, and pushback creates trust, trust leads to buy-in. When you hear crickets, I’d be worried about apathy. If they don’t give a damn, they aren’t going to be motivated and committed to success.

The Value of Vulnerability

During COVID we saw some of the greatest leaders admit that they didn’t have all the answers. I mean,  who could at that point? But it was that honesty and openness that helped them connect with their teams.

Research shows that vulnerability and asking for help is a strong signal that you trust the other person, and in return, it is more likely that person will trust you. When there is trust, there is buy-in. Even if they disagree with your decision, they are more willing to follow you when there is trust.

By asking questions, you demonstrate that their opinions matter and they are valued members of the team. If you want to influence others, allow them to influence you. Let them know that you rely on them to point out potential blind spots, share concerns, and identify opportunities you might be missing.

Edgar Schein suggests leaders take an approach he calls humble inquiry, which he defines as “the fine art of drawing someone out, of asking questions to which you do not know the answer, of building a relationship based on curiosity and interest in the other person.”

He goes on to show that our dependence on others builds trust; that vulnerability makes relationships more personal. Brené Brown describes vulnerability and authenticity as lying at the root of human connection. When employees feel that human connection they perform better and, likely, feel more comfortable providing honest feedback.

Challenge and Change

70% of all organizational change efforts fail. One reason is leaders don’t get enough buy-in from enough people.

As a result of COVID, many businesses had to pivot.  Change can mean strategic shifts, implementing new systems and processes, cultural changes, people changes, structural change, etc. No matter what, you need your team on board to successfully execute.

Does your team see the problem you are fixing? Do they agree that it is having a negative impact that will just get worse if left as is? Or, do they think “good enough as-is”?

Do they see the benefits to your solution? Maybe it’s about opportunities not problems.

If you aren’t changing, you aren’t growing.

Yet, as we know, change comes with resistance. Some may not want to learn something new. Some may fear that a change will take away from some of their job responsibilities, power or status, or change how their performance will be measured.

What’s the solution? Create dialogue and seek feedback. For example,

• What suggestions do you have for improvement?

• What would you like to see change?

• What’s working? What’s not working?

• What is your impression of “X” or what is your reaction to “X”? What would you add or change?

• What am I missing? What opportunities do you see or roadblocks that I don’t see?

• What works/doesn’t work about this idea or solution?

 How to Ask Your Questions

Ask open-ended questions. These are questions that cannot be answered by a “yes” or “no”. It’s like you are talking to a teenager.

Avoid leading questions (very lawyerly!). Don’t provide the answer or hint at it in the actual question. 

Don’t disguise telling someone what to do in a question. ‘Would it be great if you did “X”’?

Avoid the “why” questions. Again, from Edgar Schein, confrontational inquiry – ‘Why did you do this?’ That puts people on the defensive. Focus questions on the “what” or the “how”.

When you hear criticism or pushback, acknowledge what is being said. It not only shows that you are listening, it provides clarity.

• What I am hearing you say is “X”

• Take me through your thought process here. How did you arrive at this conclusion, I want to better understand?

• Let me make sure I understand you correctly, ….

It’s not enough to just ask questions, it is how you ask. It is in the intention behind the question. Are you genuinely looking for feedback? Are you actively listening? Be vulnerable. Be humble.