Page 46 - Twenty Four Lessons for Mastering Your New Role

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Ask few questions

Pose penetrating
questions

One of the most overlooked success traits of managers is their abil-
ity to ask necessary questions of their employees. Yet the act of ask-
ing in itself places you at risk. You may offend or annoy others with
your tone or word choice. And you may not like the answer.
Yet questions are irreplaceable tools that enable you to learn. No
manager can function well without asking employees lots of ques-
tions. By phrasing your inquiries wisely and watching your timing,
you increase the odds that workers will level with you.
Employees who have worked for a less inquisitive supervisor may
welcome your questions. They may appreciate your willingness to lis-
ten and learn, rather than simply tell them what to do. Through your
questions, you can uncover ideas and opinions that workers had pre-
viously suppressed because no one else had shown interest.
Show interest in each answer. Express thanks when you’re given
a particularly informative response. Wait an extra few seconds after
it appears the speaker’s finished before you jump in. This allows oth-
ers to add more revealing comments that they might otherwise keep
to themselves.
Only ask questions if you’re genuinely interested in the answer.
Staffers can tell in an instant if you don’t care about the response.
Your distracted air, vacant stare, or flat voice tone may signal that
you’re going through the motions rather than making a concerted
effort to learn. And don’t reel off a series of rapid-fire questions or

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