Berger Leadership Blog

As a leader, it is easy to run with our ideas and immediately put them into play. Conversely, it is not as easy to ask for input on our ideas. We may phrase our questions so that a certain answer will be delivered, or we may find our employees hold back their honest assessment.

Jeff Haden, Inc.com contributing editor, presents three ways to ask questions that will allow us to hear and process what others think. In other words, these methods will help us understand what others know before we deliver our opinion. The three methods include:

1. Present a situation. Even if you think you have the answer to a problem, present others with the situation – leaving out your answer – and see what they suggest.
2. Ask open-ended questions. Don't share options or you might miss an even better solution.
3. Only speak to clarify. Also, suggests Haden, "never pretend you understand when you don't."

Haden highlights comments from leadership expert Simon Sinek on this topic:

"The skill to hold your opinions to yourself until everyone has spoken does two things: 1) It gives everybody else the feeling that they have been heard. It gives everyone else the ability to feel that they have contributed. And 2), you get the benefit of hearing what everybody else has to think before you render your opinion. The skill is really to keep your opinions to yourself."

Even though we are leaders, our knowledge is limited. You never know what kind of solutions and answers someone from your team can bring to the table unless you ask them and then listen.

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