Q and A

“The mission of Socrates was to rid people of the illusion of knowledge.” So writes Terry J. Fadem in The Art of Asking: Ask Better Questions, Get Better Answers.  It’s little wonder then that the folks around Socrates were anxious to be rid of him.  After all, no one wants to be the naked emperor so we weave our robes grandly and disparage the fool who might question our designs.

Fadem’s point is that questions are the tools of the manager.  In the old days (exactly when were those by the way?), promotion often meant that the person was really good at what he did.  He knew all the machines or steps and could supervise the entire process.  He was the answer guy.  In our complex world, it’s well, more complex.  The breadth and width of global departments means that no one can have all the answers.  Managers who think they do are bound for failure.  So it’s questions, not answers, that are a manager’s tools.  Asking the right questions, listening to the answers, and then taking appropriate action are key activities for progress and success.

He identifies three types of questions:

1.  Questions asked because the answer is important
2.  Questions asked because the question is important
3.  Questions asked because the process of asking is important

We are destined to make mistakes, but being aware of a few common errors can help.
Habit questions.  If you are using the same question or type of questions, over and over, your team members will know it and they will expect it.  Meetings run the risk of becoming routine, almost scripted.  Critical issues may be overlooked and creativity stifled.
Positioning and posturing.  This is when the question is all about the asker.  “I only have a Master’s in Economics and a Ph.D. in Finance, so keep it simple.  Why are our numbers off 80% this quarter?” 
Too casual.  Fadem says there is no such thing as a casual question in a professional environment.  If you are in a management role, what you ask will have significance.  Be sure to ask yourself, prior to asking a question of someone else: “where is the business value?” and “is it an abuse of power?”   I once had a superior who failed to ask either of these. Several years ago, new to my position and the organization, I was nervous and excited when, early Monday morning with my boss out on vacation, I received a call from our group’s admin assistant summoning me to the VP’s office.  Cool.  What challenge would I have?  Could I do it?  Notepad and pen at the ready I sat down to get the assignment.  And assignment it was.  “Hey, my kid is working on a paper for a marketing class.  He’s doing a comparative analysis of the greeting card industry.  Can you do a little research and pull something together for him by the end of the week?”  I didn’t know whether to be flattered, indignant, angry, or deflated. 

Never pose a question in anger or to cause harm.  When you ask for someone’s opinion, treat it with respect once it is received.  In other words, be careful what you ask for!  When you ask be curious and patient.  Curious – you are asking because you want to hear what they have to say and their answer matters.  Patient – after you ask, you will listen to their answer.  Sometimes, you may already know the answer.  But you are giving them space and time to work it out for themselves.

When asking questions, you will have different goals and therefore you may take a particular role depending on what outcome you seek.  Here are some of the roles Fadem identifies – think about which hat you are wearing to help you shape your questions.
Interviewer – gain information
Teacher – improve the knowledge of business
Student – learn
Journalist – gather information for the story of what happened
Detective – gather pertinent information
Prosecutor – affix responsibility
Lawyer – examine facts, reasons, motives
Physician – evaluate, find the cause, prevent, treat or cure the problem
Scientist – hypothesize, test, analyze and produce results
Historian – uncover and learn
Auditor – examine and conclude

Getting the question right is the first part.  Hearing and listening to the answer is the second part of the process.  Common listening errors include:
Interrupting.  “What is the outlook for next month’s sales?” Before they have a chance to answer, you throw in another question.  “Did we get that issue revolved with shipping on the Davis account?”  Maybe that was the crux of your question – if so, ask it first.  Or give the other person enough time to get to it.
Ignoring the answer.  You: “Shall we get a cup of coffee?”  Them: “No, thanks, I’m cutting back on the caffeine.”  You: “Cream or sugar?” as you’re putting the coins into the machine.
Acting distracted.  This includes checking your Blackberry while they are answering, flipping through notes, having sidebars with other team members.
Walking away.  Unless you’re in a soap opera, tossing questions out and then turning on your heels isn’t really an effective communication style.

Questions are powerful.  They build bridges, promote trust, and generate solutions when used effectively.  Hypothetical questions are especially powerful.  Consider one of these in place of a directive next time and see what turn the conversation takes.  “What if we decided to centralize the customer service operations?  What challenges and opportunities do you foresee?”  These types of “what if” questions are not threatening and they invite creative thinking.  Compare this to “How would we centralize our customer service operations?” There is a time for “how” questions, but asked too early they can get us bogged down in particulars and lost in specifics.  “Why” questions can also be troublesome.  “Why” often depends on intent and purpose – very subjective. Safer ground is found in objective questions.  For example, compare “Why can’t we meet our 24-hour turnaround commitment? to “What is preventing us from meeting our 24-hour turnaround commitment?”  Subtle, yet significant.