The Role of Manager – To Ask Better Questions for Better Decisions
If you were to break down the role of being a people manager into only two phases, would you accept that managers are mainly called to (1) make decisions and then to (2) see that their decisions are carried out? The role would thus be reduced simply to decision making and creating a culture of accountability.
Certainly, both of these steps are very important facets of a manager’s job. But we prefer to insert a critical difference in our new manager training: before you decide and hold people accountable, ASK. In other words, we believe that the best decisions are made only after asking the best questions and that the core role of a manager is to question, listen, decide, and then act.
Ask Better Questions for Better Decisions
So how can people leaders sharpen their ability to formulate different, deep, and effective questions that lead to better decisions? Here are five keys to better questioning based upon data from our leadership simulation assessment:
- Be Willing to Reconsider Your Premise
It is natural for leaders to feel pressure to come up with fast answers when faced with a pressing problem. It can be tempting to solve problems before a thorough analysis of the current situation. The key is to pause and challenge your assumptions ― especially when the stakes or need for buy-in is high.To come up with the best decisions that people can commit to, be open to new ideas and seek out objective, critical questioning and analysis that challenge your initial conclusion.
- Talk Less, Listen More
Learn how to actively listen. Great listeners learn more, create the space for constructive debate, and build trust. Focusing on active listening also allows your brain to be more open to new and different ideas.Talk less and listen more to broaden the conversation.
- Beware of Group Think
If you want to improve your decision making culture as a new leader, avoid groupthink. Unless you pay attention, it’s all too easy to follow the thinking of the crowd. Ensure that you and your team are skeptical enough to question if you are headed in the right direction.Ask people to be the devil’s advocate to challenge the easy path.
- Pose Questions that Are Open-Ended
Open-ended questions are better than closed, yes-no questions because they simply reveal more. The goal is to have your respondent fill you in on the details of their situation and the logic of their approach. Use such phrases as:If this were so, how and why would that be?
What pleases you about…and what could be improved?
Talk to me about… - Take Some Time
Rushed decisions are often rash decisions. Take the time to be clear about the problem you are trying to solve and ask follow-up questions to deepen your understanding of the context. Often just 24 hours to mull things over can help to crystallize thinking.
The Bottom Line
Learning how to ask better questions and think more critically will help in all phases of your life — not just in your management role
To learn more about how to create the alignment required for effective leadership decision making, download 3 Steps to Set Your Team Up to Make Better Decisions