Management idea

Success is dependent on having the best information. Is the way you handle questions preventing you from gaining the insight you need?  

In one of our planning meetings a participant reacted so negatively every time someone asked her a question that folks stopped asking.  She was taken to task for "being defensive," a position she strongly denied.  Finally, one of the other team members broke through with a simple thought.

Do you think I'm questioning you or asking you a question?

Too often we assume that we aren't being asked a question for understanding or clarification but rather having our judgment questioned. In order for people to trust you they have to understand your conclusions/decisions/plans and how you arrived at them. Usually the process of answering a hard question provides greater insight. In the case of our client it directly lead to a member of the team coming up with an idea that trimmed a full week off the implementation of their project.

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RUN WITH THE Big dogS™ newsletter

Every week the strategic planning facilitators of Myrna Associates interact with the executive teams of the best managed mid-sized companies in America.  The weekly RUN WITH THE BIG DOGS™ newsletter shares an idea generated in one of those meetings. The companion  RUN WITH THE BIG DOGS™ CEO interviews discusses a single management topic with a mid-sized company leader.