When Asking is Better Than Answering

For those in a leadership role, I’m sure you have felt the compulsion to always provide the answer when a question is raised by a member on your team.  It’s a natural response to feel that you must be the answer resource, for after all, this is what is expected of you in your position.  Right?  Wrong!
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The most effective leaders know how to be comfortable in asking appropriate questions to stimulate the input from their teams rather than always providing the answers themselves.  Mike Figliuolo argues this concept in his recent thoughtLEADERS, llc blog saying, “You need to move from a world where you provide all the answers to a world where you ask all the questions."

Throughout my many years of leading people, I have learned to appreciate the art of asking questions versus immediately casting forth an answer.  Sure, it took me some time to become settled with this approach, but I have found it to be more productive and revealing while promoting the growth of my teams.  Here are my top three benefits of asking rather than answering:

1.   It enables you to educate an employee on a possible fundamental principle.  When a question is posed to you from an employee, pause for a moment and ask what outcome he or she is seeking.  Ask what circumstances have occurred that have resulted in the current status.  If the employee has difficulty answering these questions, they may not have a solid grasp of the underlying issue.  Your questions will give you the opportunity to educate the person so they may be able to apply the knowledge to a similar situation in the future.

2.   It allows you to “infect” others with your strategic thinking.  I agree that not all questions or issues pertain to strategic matters, as some are tactical in nature.  But, by posing forward thinking questions such as, “how does this affect our business in future years” or “what is the cost associated with finding a solution”, you force your team to think in line with the strategic goals of the company.  This affords you the opportunity to shape the problem solving techniques of your employees in a beneficial manner.

3.   It builds the confidence of your team.  Sometimes an employee is searching for a quick answer, and there will be moments when quickness of an answer is appropriate.  However, in the vast majority of cases, when you take a few minutes to ask relevant and pertinent questions, you foster a level of thinking in an employee that enhances their skills and grows their confidence.  In a subtle way, they become more influential by feeling empowered with their knowledge. 

Learning to counter the urge to always provide answers can be a challenge.  However, developing a habit of asking questions will sharpen your effectiveness as a leader and promote the growth of your employees.  

Ron Washington

Ron Washington, Manager of the Texas Rangers, said so aptly after winning the American League pennant in Major League Baseball last week, “It’s not the best team that wins, it’s the team that plays the best on that day.”  I thought his philosophy was very insightful, and it illustrates Washington’s unselfish and realistic viewpoint on leading an organization of people.  As I pondered his slight twist on words, I couldn’t help but wonder how this wisdom can apply to other business settings where teams of people work together.

Not surprisingly, I think any business leader in a corporate environment would readily admit that having the best team can virtually assure the best performance.  After all, who would discount the potential stellar impact of assembling a group of employees who are considered the best in terms of their credentials?  But a stellar performance goes beyond credentials and taps into the skills of the leader and the propensity of the team members to deliver the best results. 

 

In a corporate business setting, being the most effective leader means building a team of individuals who are motivated to succeed in partnership with others and who are inspired by the guidance of their leader.  Finding and developing team members who present an aptitude for learning, a willingness to accept constructive criticism, and a relentless desire to improve may possibly transcend those with the best credentials. 

As a leader, securing such members for your team will help assure that your group will “play the best” everyday in the workplace.  While this approach can have a measurable and positive impact on your employees, it should be coupled with a regular practice of promoting their input, suggestions, and problem solving techniques to foster their accountability and ownership of their performance.  It is through this type of leadership style that true teamwork flourishes, and it builds the mutual respect that employees develop for everyone’s contribution.  This is the key to Washington’s success, and as a business leader, you can achieve the best results by adopting this strategy.

Our society is seemingly compelled to apply creative sports metaphors to business situations.  Some are certainly more appropriate than others, and to apply Washington’s theme of “playing the best”, means knowing how to win. 

My Gas Station Roots And the Impact Today

It is an era that is “gone with the wind”, but its impact will live with me forever.  In retrospect, it seems like such a simple event to have such a lasting impact, but working in a customer service environment, as I did in my father’s and grandfather’s old fashion gas station, helped form the foundation for my style of interpersonal behavior in the workplace.

My thoughts on this sparked to my mind today after receiving a series of 1920’s gas station photos from an associate of mine named Stephen Mitchell, who is an independent film maker in Los Angeles.  Picture in your mind a gas station totally the opposite of today’s ubiquitous “self-serve” islands. . .  a place where attendants scurry to your car upon arrival to fill your tank with your choice of gas, wash all of your windows, check your oil level and other fluids, and bring you the day’s newspaper.  It is a place known as the social center of town, where local residents gather to discuss the weather, politics, school happenings, and even a touch of gossip.

Such was the life for me in my late teens when I started working for my father in the Conoco gas station that was founded by my grandfather in the 1920’s.  The experiences I learned on that job of serving customers and balancing the expectations of a thriving business remain with me today and guide how I manage others.  My father always said, “Everyone should have the chance to serve the public in a work environment, and then they would be infinitely more patient.”  I’ve always remembered that philosophical gem, and throughout my career, I’ve reflected on the value of providing supreme customer service in all my ventures.

Without a doubt, I was influenced by growing up in a small community where virtually everyone knew everyone else, and this was certainly a motivator to make sure I was on my best behavior at the gas station.  At times, it was critically tested, especially when the elderly matriarchs of the town would descend upon the gas station at the same time, and expect prompt and quality attention to their automobile needs.  That’s definitely a high level of pressure, even for a teenager, but I learned to be efficient, cordial, and thorough to keep them all satisfied.

The stories are almost endless of dealing with customers in that gas station, and the result was always the same.  They wanted to be served and pampered, and that’s what they were really seeking.  I learned the value of keeping it all in balance, but in all cases I learned the value of customer service and how to apply that to the “customers” I would encounter for the remainder of my life.

In today’s world, there are plenty of venues in which to gain an appreciation for providing supreme customer service.  For me, experiencing it in a bygone era has made it endure and grow in a way that will always be of great value.