These days most of us have 'opportunities' in our work to influence people. That is, in many of our positions we don't have direct authority, so we can't order things to happen, we need to advocate, convince, persuade and generally, influence others. This can be quite tough! But there is one incredibly powerful tool that we all have, that we frequently don't use or don't use as effectively as we could. That is the question. Not a simple question, but a considered question that looks at enabling forward movement – un-stuck-ness. Could you ask someone a question that would put them in a position of power? Read further to find out how!

Think about questions. They are part of communications, but they are also part of our thinking. The questions we ask come from our own individual perception of the world in which we live.  New and different questions can help us to change our perspective. The questions we ask drive the results we see. They direct our attention. Are you asking questions that focus your - and others' - attention on the right place? Do you know the right place? And how would you know if it were the right place to focus? What would you see and feel?

The power of questions is that they can lead us to failure or success. The language we use helps to create our reality. It is important to be aware of this because it can often get in the way if used without thought. Here is a simple, straightforward example:

I worked for a manufacturing company that assembled computer boards with tiny components on them. There were assembly lines with machine and hand placement stations on them. I was asked to do an organisational audit of the manufacturing facility. At that time, we also knew that morale was very low and there were quality problems with the product.

I started by asking, "What actually happened?" I wanted facts, not opinions or judgements. I was told that operators were damaging Work-In-Progress. So, I asked, "Which operators where causing the damage? Which lines?" I asked questions that would help me to understand exactly what was happening, rather than jumping to conclusions or making assumptions (as the managers had). I wanted to learn what was happening (not why, which leads to judgements and blame), what was responsible for what we were seeing.

This helped us to identify the two lines where the problems were occurring. We could then focus on further questions: What did these two lines have in common? A new automatic placement machine which – we ultimately discovered - had been improperly calibrated. Just think about what would have happened if we had continued down the line of judgement – asking the wrong question. The cost to the company would have been high indeed.

Marilee G. Adams has written a book called, "Change Your Questions, Change Your Life" (see review below) – it is one of our favourite books. How can you get the best answers without asking the best questions? In this book she has a lovely map called The Choice Map. Based on our questions we can choose to go down the judger path (blame) or we can choose to go down the learner path (taking responsibility). Judger questions close down options and look for someone or something to blame. They keep us in victim mode. Learner questions do the opposite – they open things up and help us to focus on possibilities.

Another example: There came a time when my team and I and many others in our function were going to be made redundant ('laid off' in the USA). I had read Dr. Adams' book, so I bought a copy for each member of my team to read and help them through this time. I also coached many of my colleagues. I remember one in particular who kept asking, "What did I do wrong?" (ever been there?). She kept repeating the question. I asked her what a more useful question might be. She stopped cold and looked at me in astonishment, whatever did I mean? We worked on questions that were useful in these circumstances and choose the Learner path. Eventually she came up with "What possibilities are there for me here and outside the organisation?" and "What would I like to do next?" She felt great relief – she was no longer stuck and could move forward. She landed a great job in a different organisation in a very short time (before her notice period was up). This didn't mean that the situation was easy for her or for any of us. But if we could ask different questions we could stop being stuck.

So, here is a list of some of our favourite questions as food for thought.

• When you’re stuck, a great question is what Nancy Kline calls an Incisive Question: What if you knew you could? What would be the first thing you did? (From Time to Think by Nancy Kline, see review below)
• Other questions for when you are stuck (especially when dealing with others), What assumptions are you making? How else can I think about this situation? What is the other person thinking, feeling, needing, wanting? ( From Change Your Questions, Change Your Life)
• What Solutions Focus practitioners call the Miracle Question: If you woke up tomorrow and your problem had disappeared overnight, only you didn’t know it, how would you know that it was gone? What would people be doing differently? What would you be doing differently? And most importantly in this line of questioning, What Else?
• A follow on from the Miracle Question is what is called 'Scaling': If what you have described is perfect, where are you now on a scale of 1 to 10? What would it take to move you up one step?
• Questions on peak performance are very interesting – ask someone about a time when they saw peak performance in a particular area (either for themselves or with someone else) and get them to tell you a story about it. Explore with great curiosity and a beginner's mind (that means, no assumptions). You can then help people to build upon existing strengths.
• What is working?
• How could I get to win/win?
• What can I learn from this?
• What are my choices?
• What am I responsible for?
• What else is possible?
• When we are working in organisations, a particularly useful question is : Who is the client for Change?
• What is changing? What will be different because of the change? Who's going to loose what? (Bridges - see link below)
• Who is going to gain what?

There is an entire field of strength-based, positive methods for change which is based on the idea that the questions we ask are key to developing (and co-creating) a new future.  If you are interested to find out more, contact us at tricia@lasadev.com  or visit our website for links and books related to Appreciative Inquiry and Solutions Focus.

You can add to this list of questions and see what you come up with – it is great having a list of useful questions in your hip pocket.

By Jill Lang

This feedback came from the International Finance Team of a global organisation on their experience of ‘virtual’ monthly meetings over a two-year period.  It is what helped their 'virtual' meetings to be more effective.

1. State the time of day at each location for all to see on the meeting agenda – so all can appreciate those who are attending in ‘unsocial hours’
2. Know how many people are at the meeting at each location, and where they are to attend it - recognise the difference in motivation:-
   • for a group of 6 in a video con. suite in London at 4 pm on a summer afternoon
   • a lone individual in an office in Melbourne at 1 am on a winter night
   • an individual on the phone at home at 5 am in New York or 3 am in San Francisco
3. Share the pain of the unsocial hours by sharing the time of calls around the time zones / seasons – planned ahead for regular meetings
4. Ask at the start of the meeting for a brief report to understand the quality of the equipment each is experiencing – recognise how this affects the quality of their input:-
   • A clear screen with good sound
   • A grainy grey / flickering screen with intermittent sound
   • Telephone line only – clear / poor
5. Recognise the value of effective Chairing for virtual meetings – without being officious – to assist participation by all on the tele/con. - video./con
   • To enable a few minutes social warm up to begin the meeting, ensure all know who is taking part, introduce new participants and substitutes for usual members
   • To keep to the shared agenda
   • To invite everyone to say briefly what is happening for them at the moment, work wise / personally
   • To ask everyone to state their name when speaking and ask questions/comments of named individuals
   • To avoid development of group discussions between people in the same room – particularly if a local issue for discussion on another occasion
6. Appreciate the value of having regular (minimum twice a year) face to face meetings of all the ‘virtual’ team to improve the ‘virtual’ meeting discussions / conversations
   • To get to know each other as individuals
   • To generate cross cultural understanding
   • To build rapport, friendship, share humour and empathy
   • To develop confidence in sharing information and understanding the situation in each region/division/ office represented

By Jill Lang.  Email: jlang@peoplepotentialp.co.uk

• Tricia started tutoring on her first Henley Facilitation Certificate course in September.
• Nic began a new project to create a computer aided education (or e-learning) web application which will help the client to distribute course material, follow up on project work and collect finished project work from participants as well as providing an ability to analyse the use of the package by participants over the course period.
• Through Henley, Tricia was asked to help facilitate the Windsor Debates, run at Windsor by the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce.
• Tricia is part of the CIPD OD Faculty. The faculty are responsible for making sure that the courses provided by CIPD in the OD area are up to date and leading edge.