ASK HARD QUESTIONS
WHY IT MATTERS
The role of the leader is to confront the harsh realities everyone else in the organization is hesitant to confront. They ask the questions others are afraid to ask and answer. They want to know the truth, no matter if it is good news or bad news, and if it is difficult to get or more readily accessible. Leaders that ask hard questions get to the core of the hardest issues and the most difficult problems while making accurate assessments and correct decisions. Their knowledge of what to do comes because of their efforts to really understand the problems they are trying to solve. Leaders that shy away from asking hard questions will never unearth the roots of the issues they are trying to resolve, allowing those issues to come back again and again.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that ask hard questions understand that not every question is worth asking or answering. They know the most important part of the problem-solving process is determining which questions really matter most. They pursue hard questions that get to the root of the problems or issues they are trying to solve. They know that if they can identify the right question for any issue, the answers and solutions they come up with will actually make a difference.
Leaders that ask hard questions surround themselves with smart people who can assist them in analyzing difficult issues. They know the clarity they need is most likely to come as different people look at the same problem through different sets of eyes. They approach their peers, leaders, subordinates, customers, outside experts, and anyone with a different point of view and solicit their input. They want other people’s voices to help them separate the questions and data that matter most from that which matter least.
Leaders that ask hard questions are not afraid to raise sensitive issues. They are more concerned about getting things right than taking the easy road or staying in good graces. They know hard questions will likely force uncomfortable conversations and challenge the ways things have always been done. They bring the hard issues into the public forum that others are fearful to acknowledge or discuss. They aren’t afraid of asking hard questions, they are afraid of ignoring them.
Leaders that ask hard questions don’t do it to be difficult or confrontational. They avoid gaining a negative stigma for being the ones who always brings up problems. Their only motivation is to ensure their organization and their people succeed. They are careful to raise difficult questions with tact instead of abruptness, a soft approach instead of a loud one, and with recommendations instead of empty conclusions. They know when to speak up, and when to wait for a different opportunity.
Leaders that ask hard questions are willing to let other people ask hard questions of them. They know they might not always get things right, so they invite people to challenge their thinking. They have the humility to welcome questions that force them to clarify their position. They create a cultural acceptance of asking and being asked hard questions by their personal example. They set the tone for the organization by placing high priority on the discovery of truth.
BELIEFS
BEST PRACTICES
SELF-REFLECTION
PSYCHOMETRIC 360 QUESTIONS
The role of the leader is to confront the harsh realities everyone else in the organization is hesitant to confront. They ask the questions others are afraid to ask and answer. They want to know the truth, no matter if it is good news or bad news, and if it is difficult to get or more readily accessible. Leaders that ask hard questions get to the core of the hardest issues and the most difficult problems while making accurate assessments and correct decisions. Their knowledge of what to do comes because of their efforts to really understand the problems they are trying to solve. Leaders that shy away from asking hard questions will never unearth the roots of the issues they are trying to resolve, allowing those issues to come back again and again.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that ask hard questions understand that not every question is worth asking or answering. They know the most important part of the problem-solving process is determining which questions really matter most. They pursue hard questions that get to the root of the problems or issues they are trying to solve. They know that if they can identify the right question for any issue, the answers and solutions they come up with will actually make a difference.
Leaders that ask hard questions surround themselves with smart people who can assist them in analyzing difficult issues. They know the clarity they need is most likely to come as different people look at the same problem through different sets of eyes. They approach their peers, leaders, subordinates, customers, outside experts, and anyone with a different point of view and solicit their input. They want other people’s voices to help them separate the questions and data that matter most from that which matter least.
Leaders that ask hard questions are not afraid to raise sensitive issues. They are more concerned about getting things right than taking the easy road or staying in good graces. They know hard questions will likely force uncomfortable conversations and challenge the ways things have always been done. They bring the hard issues into the public forum that others are fearful to acknowledge or discuss. They aren’t afraid of asking hard questions, they are afraid of ignoring them.
Leaders that ask hard questions don’t do it to be difficult or confrontational. They avoid gaining a negative stigma for being the ones who always brings up problems. Their only motivation is to ensure their organization and their people succeed. They are careful to raise difficult questions with tact instead of abruptness, a soft approach instead of a loud one, and with recommendations instead of empty conclusions. They know when to speak up, and when to wait for a different opportunity.
Leaders that ask hard questions are willing to let other people ask hard questions of them. They know they might not always get things right, so they invite people to challenge their thinking. They have the humility to welcome questions that force them to clarify their position. They create a cultural acceptance of asking and being asked hard questions by their personal example. They set the tone for the organization by placing high priority on the discovery of truth.
BELIEFS
- It is imperative leaders invest in getting the right question identified before they invest in getting a question answered.
- Bring into the open what others refuse to acknowledge instead of staying quiet just to save face or not create waves.
- The only way to improve thinking is to question thinking, which sometimes means asking people uncomfortable questions.
- Asking hard questions can be done without being negative. The difference is how and when you say what needs to be said.
- Asking hard questions should be a group process. The more diversity you have helping you the safer you will be.
- If you act defensively when asked a hard question you risk creating a culture where it is unsafe to ask hard questions at all.
- Just because you refuse to ask a hard question doesn’t mean that it doesn’t still have to be answered.
- No matter how hard you try to avoid difficult issues they will always be waiting for you to address them, so just do it.
BEST PRACTICES
- Be willing to ask hard questions.
- Say what other people are afraid to say.
- Know when to speak up and when not to.
- Don’t be a ‘yes man’ or a ‘yes woman.’
- Ask questions humbly, not as a “know it all.”
- Don’t stay quiet just to appear supportive.
- State what you think, even if you don’t agree.
- Challenge ideas without challenging people.
- Speak candidly when others are afraid to.
- Make it safe for people to ask hard questions.
- Be willing to ask the questions others ignore.
- Doesn’t let your voice be a silent voice.
- Have the courage to ask what others won’t.
- See questioning as a learning process.
- Encourage constant question asking.
- Find the right question before answering it.
- Encourage others to always speak up.
- Make question asking a group process.
- Don’t be afraid of what questions might uncover.
- Don’t stop questioning until you get to the root.
- Allow people to question your own thinking.
- Don’t be confrontational in your approach.
SELF-REFLECTION
- Do I dig until I find the question that really needs to be answered, or do I stop the questioning process too soon?
- Do I raise questions in the true spirit of problem solving, or do I raise questions in the spirit of criticism?
- Do I have the courage to raise sensitive issues, or do I back down from asking questions that could cause waves?
- Do I persist in asking hard questions until they are dealt with, or do I sweep them under the rug and hope they go away?
- Do I ask questions others are afraid to ask, or do I follow the crowd and hesitate to say what needs to be said?
- Do I use strategy and tact in raising difficult questions, or do I just plow ahead without thinking?
- Do I look for the right time to raise hard questions, or do I bring them up without any thought of timing?
- Do I allow others to ask hard questions of me, or do I get defensive and shut down the question-asking process?
- Don’t be labeled as a cynic, or as someone who likes to “stir the pot” because all you ever do is bring up issues and problems.
- Don’t ask hard questions without providing answers and become a “problem bearer” instead of a “problem solver.”
- Don’t turn questioning into a game of politicking where you tear others down instead of building them up.
PSYCHOMETRIC 360 QUESTIONS
- I like to debate.
- It’s always okay to challenge your leader’s decision.
- Asking hard questions of others comes easy to me.
- In a conversation, I ask more questions about the other person than they ask of me.
- It bothers me when I don’t understand the thinking behind someone’s decision.