great questions
If you are a leader in your organization, it’s easy to assume that people look to you for answers… that you should have all the answers… and having all the answers is the only way to build people’s trust in your competence.
But in this day and age, when the world is changing so fast and so much is uncertain… having all the answers is absolutely impossible… and pretending do so fools no one and completely erodes trust…
I think in today’s world it is not necessary for leaders to have all the answers.
Instead, it is necessary for leaders to ask great questions.
Leaders today should ask bold inspiring questions.
Then convey that they don’t have all the answers.
And ask for help to find the right answers.
Asking these kinds of questions means admitting that you don’t know everything.
And that can make you feel vulnerable.
But that is exactly what makes people trust you and connect with you.
If done right, this can spark innovative thinking within the organization.
So, what makes a great question?
Well, that’s a great question 😊
Here are some characteristics of great questions:
- Broad and Bold – Broad questions about new opportunities or emerging technologies or customer’s unmet needs communicate a sense of ambition and long-term thinking which bolsters confidence in the organization.
- Involves others – Bold futuristic questions invite collaboration within the company, and often with customers and partners. It also inspires people to reach out for help when they need it.
- Encourages exploration – Instead of expecting full-formed complete answers, the question should encourage exploration and insights. These small moves build excitement as people begin to see progress.
- Contributes to learning – As early answers emerge, they should be shared and discussed. The purpose of these types of questions is not to find ground-breaking world-changing answers, but to make progress and generate new insights. This helps foster a culture of learning.
If you would like to know more about how ConvergeHub can help you drive innovation in your organization by tracking the right data and asking the right questions, talk to us.
Or, if you would like to check it out yourself, go ahead and create a free ConvergeHub account here.