Three great questions to ask in one-on-one conversations at work.
As well as making sure you attend to the relationship, slow the conversation down, and where necessary use distance to allow for difficult conversations to be addressed, here are three quality questions you can ask in a one-on-one conversation with people who report to you.
1. What are you struggling with?
Ask this question then sit back and listen. Don’t judge or justify things that you are doing that may add to the other person’s struggle. Simply hear what they see as their struggle. Often, by being heard the other person will come to a resolution of their problem for themselves.
2. What are your dreams?
Everyone at work has ideas about how their life could be better. They dream of things for their personal life and ways to improve their work life. Take time to ask this question and listen for the response.
3. What are the ‘cracks of possibility’?
Not everything is easily changed and people who report to you know that as much as you do. Allow the conversation to go where they think change could happen
Asking these three questions of people at work will add a new dimension to the quality of your listening.
For more tips on how you can improve your listening skills and how you react to others, pick up a copy of our book here
