7 Questions You Can Use to Help Anyone Develop, Even the Boss
Leadership is more than getting things done. Leaders bring out the best in people.
Successful leaders ask questions that help others develop.
7 questions that help anyone develop:
#1. What do people admire about you?
Listen for traits and behaviors. Affirm their response. Come up with at least three responses.
#2. Why do you think they admire those traits and behaviors?
This question may feel awkward. Don’t push too hard. Move to the next question.
#3. What value do those traits and behaviors bring others?
Use the word others. Leadership is about others. If the person initially listed qualities and behaviors that were self-serving, ask #1 again using the lens of “value to others”.
Don’t rush to question #3. It might be enlightening to gently shift the conversation from self-serving to other-serving.
#4. If you were asked how to develop those admirable traits and behaviors, what practices would you suggest?
Come up with observable actions. Take time to develop a list. Ask, “And what else comes to mind?”
#5. Which one of those traits has most contributed to your success? What makes you say that?
#6. What is the potential downside your admirable traits and behaviors? How might they hold you back?
#7. If you were to get better at one of your admirable traits or behaviors, what could you try?
Suggestions:
Genuine curiosity is essential. Don’t use questions to manipulate. Questions #3 provides an opportunity to shift perspective, but you can’t force it.
Always have the best interest of others at heart. When you help people develop, do it for them.
Gently probe after first responses. Ask, “I wonder if you could come up with at least three things?” Or, “What else comes to mind?”
Soften questions with phrases like, “I’m curious,” or “I wonder.”
How would you adapt the above set of questions?
How do you develop people, even the boss?
Still curious:
15 Questions that Change the Way People Think
10 Questions You Need to Ask to Develop Employees
1. What do you admire about yourself.
8. What one new trait or behavior will you need to strengthen to deal with the new challenges on the horizon?
How do you develop people, even the boss?
1. Tell me about a defining moment you had that shaped you as a leader.
2. What did you learn from that event?
Thanks Paul. One thing that really works for me is putting questions into a context. When you add, “… deal with the new challenges on the horizon?” It creates focus.
Asking for a list of 3 or 4 rising challenges might set the groundwork for question 8.
I’ll add that I like question 8’s language. It doesn’t begin with weaknesses. Using “NEW” protects people from feeling defensive when they are asked about weaknesses.
I also like how “NEW” is forward looking.
I love this concept in theory but when I think about posing these questions to my boss, I’m pretty sure I’ll need to have my resume ready beforehand! 😂😒
That’s always possible, DJ. It’s all in the approach. When we approach someone as a learner they are less likely to take offense. When we approach someone as a fixer they are likely to resist.
Take your boss to lunch and use the questions as a way she/he can mentor you. In the process, they may get better too. Only do this if you have genuine interest in learning and developing yourself.