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.