The Power of Questions

I attended a webinar on 23rd December 2020 organized by Mr Praksah Sharma, Founder Director, Bija Training under their Mask Leadership initiative. The speaker was Mr Yadugireesh.Rajagopal - Head OD Ashok Leyland on the " The Power of  Questions".   At the very outset the speaker declared that asking questions enhanced the leadership skills of not only the one asking the questions but also of the person who is answering them. Questions are powerful because they create change. Questions create transformation, inspire innovation and result in true change. They are powerful because they help to engage in focused thinking. Breakthrough answers are possible when you engage in focused thinking.   

Mr Yadugireesh said that in terms of  innovation and creativity,  he has been able to elicit from  crowd sourced questions  far better answers than those he could have come up by himself as an individual. The answers are to be encouraged with provision for a  wild freedom to respond so that they do not  resemble answers in response to questions from a question bank. To a query as to whether the "Power of questions" includes questions that may be posed by a junior to his boss, he said that a lot depends on the environment and culture promoted in the company. The key is not only to ask questions yourself, but also encouraging others to ask questions.  

Here, we should  keep in mind that it is not only about the question per se , (whether posed by a leader, junior or peer)  but the manner in which it is asked is equally important. The way the question is asked should be encouraging and supportive for eliciting answers. The person asked the question (say about a task that needs to be done) should not feel so  intimidated that he is unable to freely respond to it. Another query was whether questions should be asked  about what  happened in the past or on the future course of action, Mr Yadugireesh said that it is important to go to the past, learn from failure and ensure  that the mistakes are not repeated. However, it is more important to focus on being futuristic. Therefore, what is required is a blend of questions about the past and future with more focus on future.  

It is necessary to create a climate of asking and answering questions in a non threatening environment. This  can be achieved by preparing people before asking the question so that they get used to dealing with them. It also  involves courageous authenticity ( guts to broach difficult subjects/ be able to listen to unpleasant feedback/ behave in congruity with one's beliefs) which may be difficult but most essential for the kind of culture the organization is seeking to build. When you have a free and fair environment of asking and answering questions, periodic discussions naturally happen with the boss as to where the person is  going in terms of the objectives. You don't need to wait till appraisal time to know how you are doing. 

The speaker said that "Coaching" has become a buzz word these days. Yet, it is to be kept in mind that effective coaching is all about 'asking the right questions' and not about 'giving advice.' The coachee should be able to come to his /her own insights, learning or answers. If the coach gives advice, the onus of solutions shifts to the coach, defeating the very purpose of empowering the person being coached. Great coaches ask great questions.  

The webinar was a very rewarding experience wherein the speaker underscored the importance of constant and regular communication in the organization which in turn provides the fertile ground for a culture of "asking questions" to blossom and thrive!