LEADERSHIP | TEAMWORK | leadeship qualities

LEADERSHIP | TEAMWORK | leadeship qualities 

LEADERSHIP & TEAMWORK ASK RIGHT 

Effective questioning can earn you the reputation of a caring professional who demonstrates empathy and understanding.

• Leading questions 

Leading question attempts to guide the respondent’s answer. It often ends with suggestive phrases towards the desired answer. Like ‘Don’t you?’, ‘Should you?’, ‘Right?’ Leading questions are generally undesirable as they may result in false information. Thus care must be taken while employing leading questions.

• Probing questions 

These questions allow you to dig deeper into a response to gain more information. A probing question is like an open question, but it is a follow-up. It is narrower. Questions like – ‘What exactly did you mean by that?’, ‘Why did you say that?’ are good examples of probing questions. You can probe to get specific details, gain more clarity, check for accuracy and so on.

 CREATE THE BEST FRAMEWORK 

An effective framework of questions can help you to gather and process information in a focused way and help you arrive at your decision very quickly. Now, that you have the buffet of all the basic techniques, its time for cherrypicking; you can design a framework that best suits the situation and thus make the conversation as open-ended or as probing as you deem fit.

For example you can use a ‘Funnel’ framework – Ask ‘open’ questions to get the person talking, listen to the answers, ‘probe/s’ to get more details and ‘close’ to get facts. You can ask multiple ‘probing’ questions to gain all the facts.

I would like to reiterate that effective questioning techniques can make you earn a reputation of being a caring professional, who demonstrates empathy and understanding. It empowers you to get the best out of everyone, including yourself. It helps you to gain more clarity and thus avoid misunderstandings and contribute towards increased productivity.

What it takes to be like the successful, smiling people, who seem to have it all.

APPRECIATE OTHERS:

 I was shocked to receive a resignation letter from Harshita, a key employee in my office. I was disappointed because I always considered myself a fair and receptive employer. I could not accept her resignation without explanations. She said, “I am leaving this company because I rarely get appreciated. Therefore, I do not feel important and feel I am not really contributing.”

I realized that the feedback was true. I had probably taken her for granted and was possibly more demanding of her than other employees. I apologized for having done so. I told her that she had always been a special employee and was important as others in the company. I repeated this in front of the entire staff and asked her to reconsider her decision.

Harshita withdrew her resignation and today I can rely on her. One change that I have brought about in my relationship, with her and everyone else in the office, is that I openly express my appreciation for people and their work.

Observe keenly anyone who gets along well with people. Ask them their secret to success. Most people will be eager to share their success formulas. Learn from them. Life is too short to waste in arguments and ego clashes.

Remember, the more you give, the more you will receive. If you want to have it all, then take the lead from being average to magnificence and forge your own path to success.

What it takes to be like the successful, smiling people, who seem to have it all.

 KEY POINTS 

1. Results don’t depend on age, experience or designation. They depend on commitment, not 99 percent, but 100 percent commitment.

 2. Work hard to build a strong character and the reputation will be taken care of.

3. Fear is a psychological infection, cure it with ACTIONS.

 4. Ask good quality questions to receive good quality answer.

5. Develop a positive attitude towards complaints, as it gives you an opportunity to put something right.

 6. Motivate people not only when the going is great but also when the going gets tough.

 7. Work with integrity and succeed with integrity.

8. Delegation is not a quick-fix; it is an astute long-term investment.

 9. Earn a ‘WOW’ in everything you do.

10. Ask for help, seek advice, get inspired and learn from the great people around you.