Spark! Exploring Change with Questions: A Brief Masterclass

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David C. Steinberg, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Heriot-Watt University
Spark! Exploring Change with Questions:
A Brief Masterclass
© David C. Steinberg 2019. All rights reserved.
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5 – Extremely Important
4 – Very Important
3 – Somewhat Important
2 – Slightly Important
1 – Not At All Important
How important is your ability to ask
questions to your job performance?
Results
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The Optimum Questioning Mindset
Detecting Change: The What-How-Why Sequence
Exploring Change: Comparative Structures
Exercise: Wrap a Change Point
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The Optimum Questioning Mindset
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• We ask questions to gather insights, apply the insights toward a moral and/or ethical goal,
and do so in a way that builds trust in the person.
The Golden Rule of Questioning
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“For every ACTION, there is an equal and
opposite reaction.”
- Sir Isaac Newton
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Warmth
and
Competence
Warmth = Intent (Trustworthiness)
Competence = Ability (Respect)
Source: Fiske, Cuddy and Glick, Universal Dimensions of Social Cognition: Warmth and Competence, 2007.
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Must establish our positive INTENT and build TRUST
associated with our intent before we demonstrate our
capability and earn respect.
Source: Fiske and Malone, The Human Brand, 2013
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One More Poll…
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5 – Extremely Satisfied
4 – Very Satisfied
3 – Somewhat Satisfied
2 – Slightly Satisfied
1 – Not at all Satisfied
Vote now!
Results
Thinking about the work you do, how satisfied are you with your ability to
detect early signs of problems with your questioning skills?
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To detect change, use the what-how-why sequence.
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Who
WHAT
Where
When
WHY
HOW
Low
HIGH
Low
Low
HIGH
HIGH
WORD LIFTING POWER
- John Sawatsky
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[Topic] [Process] [Motivation]
What? How? Why?
“What were
commercial pilots
flying the 737 Max
experiencing with
the MCAS anti-stall
system well before
the crash of Lion Air
Flight 310?”
“Why weren’t
problems with the
737 Max’s MCAS
system detected
during flight tests
before the first plane
was sold to an
airline?”
“How did Boeing
correct problems
with the MCAS
system after the
Ethiopian Airlines
crash?”
What? How? Why?
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“Listening requires not simply a
comprehension of what others are
saying and how they are saying it,
but also why they are saying it:
what caused them to say that and
to say it in that way?”
Robert Spunt, 2013
Neural Basis of Listening:
Source: Spunt, R.P. (2013) Mirroring, Mentalizing, and the Social Neuroscience of Listening, International Journal of Listening, 27(2), pp. 61-72
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To explore change, build your questions around a change point.
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A change point is a significant turning point associated with
someone’s organisation, or with their professional or personal life.
- John Sawatsky
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Professional
• Promotion
• New Boss
• New Idea / Solution
Personal
• Getting Married
• Completing a Marathon
• Overcoming an Illness
Organisational
• New Fraud Detection System
• New Automated Warehouse
• New Reverse Logistics
Process
Global
• Superpower Trade Dispute
• Rise of e-Commerce
• Climate Change
Force Majeure
• Bridge Collapse
• Hurricane
• Plane Crash
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Start your sequence with a question in a comparative structure.
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“Thinking back prior to when your company began performing
environmental impact audits on your suppliers and co-creating
sustainability programmes with them, how does the carbon
footprint of your suppliers then compare with their footprint now?”
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“Thinking ahead to when your e-commerce company
implements a reverse logistics plan that reduces clothing
returns, how will your current consumers’ brand loyalty
compare with their loyalty after you make the change?”
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“Thinking back to when your company introduced blockchain
technology to your supply chain, what’s the difference
between your levels of traceability, security and automation
then and now?”
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Embed a Verbatim in a Comparative Structure.
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“You once said that ‘technology is both a solution and a
curse for compliance and procurement professionals.’ How
would a fully artificially intelligent fraud detection system
compare with the current human-based approach to
detection that is augmented by technology?”
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“You once said that ‘an ecosystem of autonomous vehicles will
drive down logistics costs, increase overall equipment
effectiveness, pave the way for automated freight matching, and
improve road safety.’ How would an autonomous vehicle’s moral
code differ from a human’s moral code in life or death decisions?”
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“You once said that ‘rapid changes in the nature of your business
require both reliability and flexibility in the design of a fully
automated warehouse.’ How would the outcome of a reliable
design differ from one that is both reliable and flexible?”
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Embed a contradiction in a comparative structure.
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“How do you reconcile the use of on-board truck operator-
monitoring systems to improve safety by monitoring driver
fatigue and tracking driver hours with the use of the same
systems to boost driver productivity?”
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“How do you reconcile the finding that 83% of more than 700
supply chain professionals surveyed by the Association for
Supply Chain Management consider supply chain ethics
extremely or very important with the finding that only 31
percent believe it’s their responsibility?”
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“How do you reconcile the US Government’s imposition of
tariffs on Chinese goods in the name of ‘national security’
with a study by the US Federal Reserve Bank of New
York, Princeton University, and Columbia University that
concludes the burden of the tariffs falls on US domestic
consumers and reduces their real income?”
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EXERCISE
WRAP a Change Point
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Step 1
Think of a meeting you are about to have with someone or with a
group upon your return to work.
Step 2
Select a change point that you would like to explore in that meeting.
Time: 2 minutes
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Step 3
Wrap the change point. Craft three questions:
• one that explores the timeframe just before the change point,
• one that explores the moment of change,
• and one that explores the timeframe after the change point.
Be ready to share the nature of your meeting, your change point and your
three questions with the group.
Time: 5 minutes
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Summary
 The Golden Rule of Questioning
 Newton’s Third Law
 Warmth & Competence
 What-How-Why
 Change Points
Topic - Process - Motivation
We ask questions to gather insights,
apply the insights toward a moral
and/or ethical goal, and do so in a
way that builds trust in the person.
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Thank You!
David_Charles.Steinberg@hw.ac.uk
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Spark! Exploring Change with Questions: A Brief Masterclass

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