In advising clients how to work through gnarly issues, manage conflict, and create change, I have found that good questions result in good outcomes. Here are 12 of my favorites.

1. For
growing
at
work
Lois
Kelly
|
www.foghound.com
|
www.rebelsatwork.com
|
@LoisKelly

2. In
advising
clients
how
to
work
through
gnarly
issues
and
create
change
at
work,
I
have
found
that
good
ques@ons
result
in
good
outcomes.
Here
are
12
of
my
favorites.
Lois
Kelly
www.foghound.com
www.rebelsatwork.com
@LoisKelly;
lkelly@foghound.com

3. Framing
the
discussion

4. This
is
one
of
the
most
useful
exercises
in
opening
up
a
strategy
session,
par@cularly
among
skep@cal
people.
Asking
people
to
choose
two
photos
and
explain
where
they
are
and
where
they
want
to
be
in
visual
metaphors
unlocks
them,
and
creates
a
safer
climate
to
dig
into
important
issues.

5. To
prevent
discussions
from
devolving
into
drama
and
problems,
agree
on
purpose.
Are
we
talking
about
vision/strategy,
planning
or
project
details?
(A
mee@ng
should
only
be
on
one
of
those
things.)
Also
agree
to
stop
the
mee@ng
if
you
stray
into
talking
about
problems
or
drama.)
HT
to
David
Rock’s
Quiet
Leadership.

6. Looking
at
strategy

7. This
is
Theodore
LeviR’s
classic
marke@ng
ques@on.
It
can
also
be
applied
to
how
you
see
your
job
or
task
at
hand.
What
the
ques@on
asks.

8. By
understanding
how
we
want
to
transform
our
customers
(clients,
bosses,
pa@ents,
donors,
our
own
self,
etc.)
we
can
more
clearly
see
what
we
should
offer
them.
This
changes
strategy
discussions
in
extremely
useful
ways.
From
Michael
Schrage,
author
of
What
Do
You
Want
Your
Customers
To
Become.

9. Engaging
in
healthy
debate

10. Ah,
we
humans
try
to
avoid
conflict
and
controversy.
But
change
is
not
possible
without
uncomfortable
conversa@ons.
This
ques@on
allows
people
to
name
the
elephant
in
the
room
so
that
you
can
discuss
what
really
maRers.
(Even
beRer,
go
around
room
and
ask
each
person
to
respond
to
this
ques@on.)

11. When
people
make
bold
asser@ons
that
seem
too
general
or
too
strident
or
too
anything,
simply
ask
this
ques@on
to
dig
deeper
into
the
topic
and
gain
a
beRer
understanding
of
it.
O[en@mes,
the
assump@ons
beneath
the
asser@on
are
faulty.
But
you
may
only
find
out
by
asking
this
ques@on.

12. A
cousin
to
#6,
this
helps
you
see
if
a
person
has
any
data
or
proof
to
back
up
his
asser@ons
or
assump@ons.
Discussions
around
opinions
are
helpful.
Debates
around
strategy
and
important
decisions,
however,
need
to
be
based
on
more
than
opinions.

13. Moving
forward

14. When
you
ask
someone
to
rate
importance,
you
quickly
get
a
sense
of
how
much
energy
to
put
into
the
topic.
If
people
think
a
topic
is
only
a
4
or
5
in
importance,
move
on.
Focus
on
the
issues
in
the
8-­‐10
range.
If
you
think
the
topic
deserves
greater
importance,
do
some
research
a[er
the
strategy
mee@ng.
Remember
#2:
avoid
drama.

15. This
is
an
invaluable
ques@on
at
the
end
of
strategy
session.
Don’t
leave
with
a
laundry
list
of
“to
do’s.”
Get
agreement
on
the
one
thing
to
tackle
that
would
provide
the
most
value.

16. Reflec=ng
on
what’s
happening

17. When
we
empathize
with
another
person,
we
gain
insights
into
her
perspec@ve.
More
importantly
this
understanding
builds
trust
and
creates
a
beRer
rela@onship,
both
essen@al
to
collabora@on
at
work.
(Note:
this
is
especially
useful
to
ask
if
you
are
very
frustrated
with
someone
at
work.
Hit
the
pause
buRon:
What’s
really
going
on
with
him?)

18. Our
true
selves
are
formed
by
age
8,
and
we
haven’t
yet
been
tainted
by
social
pressures.
For
several
years
I
was
reluctant
to
ask
business
people
to
have
their
young
selves
write
advice
to
their
older
selves.
Might
it
be
too
corny?
No
way.
What
emerges
is
always
insighjul
and
helpful.

19. The
posi@ve
psychology
and
resiliency
researchers
say
we
can
rewire
our
brains
to
be
happier
when
we
reflect
each
day
on
the
one
great
moment
of
the
day.
It
needn’t
be
big.
Maybe
you
got
a
parking
space
close
to
the
building,
a
boring
project
mee@ng
was
postponed,
you
and
your
child
had
the
giggles
at
dinner.
Simply
take
note.
Every
day.

20. And
what
are
your
good
ques@ons?
#GdQues@ons