The Power Of Questions

The Power Of Questions

Note:  This week's message is a collaboration between Coaches Dan, Punit and Spoorthy to explore the concept of "powerful questions" and how they can help people and teams improve. Have you every noticed how a single question can turn the course of a conversation, or help a group see things differently than they were before.  A well framed question can help a group get "unstuck," come up with a solution to a problem that was eluding them, or even unleash pent up creativity!  Powerful questions are great tools to help a team unlock their potential and deliver a great user experience effectively and efficiently!

A little background... The human brain is designed to focus on a single thing at a time. When we are thinking about a specific topic or problem, our brain's chemistry helps us to focus very specifically on that single line of thinking.

This reality is a benefit, because it allows us to put considerable brain power toward working through a specific line of thinking. It's less beneficial when it causes us to become too focused on a specific train of thought, and can actually limit creative solutions or "outside of the box" thinking. This means we run the risk of missing out on bright ideas and innovative solutions! The good news? A powerful question can actually interrupt that brain chemistry, and allow us to examine different perspectives, which can lead to some pretty interesting "aha" moments!

So what makes a question powerful? Powerful questions, simply put, are open-ended queries that encourages deep reflection, new insights, or expanded understanding. They prompt the person being asked to think in new ways and discover their own answers. These questions should be non-judgmental and free from any hidden agenda. Powerful questions often begin with "what" or "how," and should seek to empower the receiver to share their perspective.

Ok, so when do I use powerful questions? The opportunities to use powerful questions are literally endless. Powerful questions can help a team get un-stuck, think of innovative solutions, or solve a problem creatively. They can also help individuals and teams identify opportunities to improve.

If your goal is... Consider questions like...

Performance and Feedback: Powerful questions can encourage reflection and self-awareness. "What do you hope to learn as you solve these problems?"  "What would it mean to you personally to achieve these goals?

Goal Setting: Use powerful questions to help teams articulate aspirations and develop plans. "If you solved this problem, what would be different?"  "What would happen if we don't solve this problem?"

Career Development: Powerful questions help teams explore motivations and opportunities. "When are some times at work when you feel the most satisfaction?" "What types of work or projects do you want to do more (less) of?

Problem-Solving: Use powerful questions to foster innovation and explore different approaches to overcome obstacles. "What are some things that are standing in your way?"  "What potential risks do you see to this plan, and how might we mitigate them?"

Fostering Engagement: Stimulate curiosity, encourage active participation and connection to work with powerful questions. "What's working /not working in the way the team collaborates now?" "What are some things this team could learn to help them be even more effective or efficient?"

Encouraging Innovation: Powerful questions can break a team out of routine thinking, spark creative solutions and lead to improved methods. "What if we tried a completely different approach to this feature?" "Is there a simpler way to achieve this goal?"

Powerful questions are a great tool to jog the brain and help people and teams look at things from a different perspective. Whether you are a people manager, a team member, or even just a great partner... powerful questions can help craft paths forward that may have been blocked before.  So now we will end with a powerful question of our own... What's stopping you from trying powerful questions?

We all win together! Coach Dan Coach Punit Coach Spoorthy P.S.  We have access to some really creative and talented people, so we crowdsource editing and creative improvements to these messages.  In other words- it takes a village to make these messages consumable and (hopefully) useful, and this time around, my village included...

Vanessa Day Krishna Lohra J.C. Laven Sai Radramaina Susan Schankula Kay Estby (Yes my amazing wife helps out too!)

Thanks folks - you are all amazing human beings and I am grateful for your partnership!

#WeAllWinTogether