This post comes from a quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln. He said, “You can tell whether a person is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a person is wise by his questions.”
I don’t think I ever understand the value of good questions until I engaged in my coaching training and certification. One of the characteristics of a good coach is the ability to ask really good questions of your clients. These are questions that do not just answer the direct question but often probe even further to get the hidden answers. More than a few times, I’ve asked a client a question that evoked an answer that surprised my client. They hadn’t realize that answer until they heard themselves say it.
How often are we willing to ask questions, especially the ones we think our stupid? It’s often the simplest of questions that don’t get asked. We often make assumptions in the beginning of our thinking process that our incorrect and by not asking the simple questions in the beginning, we go down the wrong road and come up with incorrect solutions. Great leaders often ask, “What are we not addressing that is right in front of us? Are we by-passing some common knowledge that we’re not questioning that has taken us in the wrong direction?” In our attempts to analyze problems and come up with good solutions, we often look to far afield for the answers and miss the basic question that needs answering.
I’ve often used the Sony Corporations five why’s technique. If you ask yourself 5 why’s in succession regarding something you’re asking for, you often end up with different answers. For example, perhaps you want to grow your business. Why? Because you know the value it brings to your customers and you want to bring it to more people. Why? Because of the organization you’ve created and the work you and your people have done to provide the best service in your market segment. Why? Because that’s why you started the business. Why? Because you saw the need for improvement in that market and wanted to make it easier for people to access your services. Why? Because you wanted to make a difference.
This may seem simple but using this technique often gets you to your core motivation for working and you often find the foundational inspiration for doing what you do.
Here are also some good questions I often use when interviewing a potential client:
- What’s the challenge you know you need to address but are avoiding?
- If our coaching was very successful a year from now, what would be noticeably different about you?
- Where do you think your current skills help you most and where might they be limiting as the company continues to scale?
- Where does your leadership create clarity and where does it unintentionally slow things down?
- What would your boss say you need to change most in how you work with others?
Don’t be afraid to ask good questions this week. You may be surprised to discover some new answers!
Kathleen