Question: What is the most powerful tool that a manager can use?
Answer: The question!
Questioning employees on a regular basis is a surprisingly simple and effective management tool that is often overlooked or sidetracked in a busy work environment.
At DCo, we love to question and challenge each other on a daily basis. It doesn’t stop and start at management levels, but managers need to drive a culture of questioning their staff to really understand and engage with their performance levels, motivators and the perspectives they have on their role and the business.
It’s not hard to ask questions, it is harder to ask the right questions and hardest still to hear and act on the answers you are given. The question is only powerful if it helps your understanding as a manager.
Top ten questions for managers to ask:
- If you owned this business, what would you do differently?
- When do you feel most productive?
- How do you describe this business to family and friends?
- What’s the most meaningful part of your job?
- What challenges are you facing? Where are you stuck?
- How do you want to be rewarded?
- What do you find most exciting about work right now?
- What’s going well in your role? Have you had any ‘wins’ this week?
- What is one thing that you learned this week?
- How are you impacting the people around you?
If you’d like more information about asking the right questions, or gaining more insight into your workforce, get in touch with us today! Give us a call on 01437 721879 or email our Client Relationship Manager, Indira Das, at indira.das@developmentco.com.
