Page 123 - Becoming a Successful Manager

114 ESTABLISHING A SOLID DEPARTMENTAL FOUNDATION

ily, or your spouse. Practice them with everyone. Don’t wait to
use the questioning techniques until you are face-to-face with a
recalcitrant staff member. You can practice on any service person
at a restaurant or store.
Just as with any sport you might play, you practice the skills
over and over before you get into a game. That way, in the pressure
of competition, you will use the skills automatically. You won’t
have to think your way through a behavior if you have made it a
natural part of yourself. So, practice, practice, and practice some
more on your children, in social settings, anytime you have the
opening.
You don’t have to juggle all of the techniques right away or
at the same time. Pick one or two that feel comfortable and work
with only them until you can easily see their application and the
results they can produce, and then try the others. Soon you’ll be
using all of them with regularity, and you’ll be pleased with what
you accomplish.

Discovery Lesson 1

Try out some or all of the fi ve questioning techniques the next time

you’re at a dinner party. Listen first and decide what your purpose for
your question is so you choose the right one. Then make sure you are
tuned in to the response so that you can continue if need be.
By using the techniques you’ve learned, you will involve others in
the conversation. You’ll be impressed by how easily the conversations
unfold and what you might discover.