A leadership development resource
from the Institute for Leadership Excellence & Development Inc.
Volume IV
Number 1
On the Horizon This Issue:
Better Results by Asking Better Questions
"How do I get the most out of my department?" Or is there a better question?
Keynotes from the Institute
Do you have a company meeting coming up & need a fresh voice to motivate the troops?
Better Results by Asking Better Questions
by Andy Kaufman
“How do I know?”
“Know what?” I ask.
“How do I know if I’m getting the most out of my department?”
The executive across from me is responsible for the Information Technology department of a growing, technology-driven organization. As the business has significantly scaled up, so have demands, and this leader is reflecting on what seems like a reasonable management question.
Questions
The best executives I’ve worked with over the years are known for asking good questions. Yet this is somewhat counter to management-as-usual. Too many managers think they have to be known for their answers. But it’s the questions that can make the difference between an efficient manager and an effective leader.
I despise the advice to “ask the right questions of the right people at the right time.” (see this past issue of Horizon Time). Similarly, I cringe a bit when I hear someone calling an inquiry the “wrong question”. Both phrases are over-used and typically over-simplify the issue.
For example, what are some potential risks of walking down the path of his question? What are a couple potential downsides of asking, “Am I getting the most out of my people?”
Your Turn
Take a couple minutes to jot down some potential downsides (I challenge you to make this an active exercise).
Did you think it through? Are you concerned I might be advocating complacency instead of productivity? Check out the January 20, 2005 entry in our Leadership in the Real World blog for more on this discussion.
Want to be a better leader? Ask better questions. Don’t miss the next newsletter issue when we take this executive’s question and consider better ones to ask.
To your success,
Andy Kaufman
Speaker, Author, Consultant
President, Institute for Leadership Excellence & Development Inc.
Keynotes from the Institute
Do you have an upcoming...
- Offsite meeting
- Leadership retreat
- National sales meeting
- Association meeting
... and need a fresh voice to challenge and motivate the troops?
Contact
the Institute today to learn how our keynotes can provide what one
executive called "the perfect exclamation point on our national sales
meeting!"
Our keynotes are customized to your needs. Your organization will receive practical insights that help you achieve results. And you'll have a lot of fun.
Click here to contact Andy Kaufman to see how the Institute can make your meeting a tremendous success.
Stay in Touch!
Horizon Time is written by Andy Kaufman and is available via e-mail or on the Web for all who register. You are invited to forward this to anyone interested in growing their leadership skills!
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