Back in my days of being The Boss (circa 1995), my big boss, the now notorious Captain Davies would begin most of our daily meetings with questions that all started with a bad word…
WHY?
Why is Petty Officer Smith not working with his doctor?
Why are the pens on the clipboards on the front appointment desk not working?
Why is there a scratch on the mobile dental van?
Why haven’t you changed the Plan of The Week in the officer’s lounge?
Immediately I was on the defense and this also led me to try an anticipate all of his inane idiosyncrasies. I dreaded those meetings and the soon-to-follow interrogations.
Which is why I recommend you learn to ask your direct reports better questions.
As The Boss, I know you’re expected to have all the answers, particularly when your boss comes around but maybe there is a better way to get the information.
Here is a suggestion:
Start with a statement of the problem:
The pens on the clipboards on the front desk are not working.
There is a scratch on the mobile dental van.
The Plan of The Week in the officer’s lounge is outdated.
Then, hopefully the individual feels invited to explore the reason why.
And, if you MUST ask a question, ask a better one:
Help me understand the reasons the pens on the clipboards are consistently dry.
Have you ever thought about a better way to monitor the lifespan of the pens?
Is there a better option to monitoring the pens than having you drop everything to do it?
I wonder if we even need to provide pens and clipboards?
If you ask better, open-end questions, then the person being asked has an opportunity to think and prepare solutions. They end up less on the defensive and won’t dread any contact with you. Believe it or not, your direct reports are probably smarter than you are in many areas and can come up with great solutions to the problems you identify. This won’t happen though if you greet them with accusations and interrogations.
So this week, stop asking WHYand start asking How, If, What and Which. You might find you’ll get better information and have happier direct reports.