You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions. – Naguib Mahfouz, 1988 Nobel Prize Winner
Sam’s team had had a great year. They had met their objectives and delivered a highly visible, complex project on time and on budget. Sam was looking forward to a promotion and an even better next year.
Then the bottom fell out. A key team member left the company to start his own business. Two more key team members left to join competitors shortly thereafter. The team was losing its “zing,” and Sam grew increasingly worried that this was just the beginning.
He knew he needed to rapidly get the team mobilized and back on track. He scheduled a team building day. He held a series of staff meetings to refocus their attention and energy on present and upcoming initiatives. Yet, the team’s morale still flagged. If I don’t get this team back on track soon, all the talent will leave! But each of his attempts achieved few results.
Sam decided to call his mentor, Linda, and scheduled lunch for the following week.
Linda had been Sam’s senior manager earlier in his career and her sage advice had helped him navigate many turbulent waters. She quietly listened as he described the ups and downs of the past year. “So…,” he concluded, “what would you do in this situation? Surely you’ve got some great approaches.”
To Sam’s surprise, Linda’s answer was quick and simple. “No.”
Sam was dumbfounded. But before he could protest, Linda continued, “But I can ask you a question.” Linda cleared her throat. “Bring to mind one of your remaining team members. Really get inside his or her shoes.” Sam nodded. “What is this person most needing now?”
Just then, a calm washed over Sam. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting himself hear the question again in his mind. To his surprise, an answer soon followed and, opening his eyes, it was as if his next steps were visibly laid out before him. Sam suddenly knew what to do.
The Anatomy of a Question
Our communication tends to be full of statements and starved of questions. Statements are messages and directives that ignite our logical, analytical faculties and prompt us to reach conclusions as soon as possible. When Sam told himself statements like, “If I don’t get this team back on track soon, all the talent will leave,” his logical and analytic faculties were harnessed to overlook and distort the situation such that he couldn’t see how to renew the team.
Questions are different in three important ways:
1. Questions seek information. Asking a question creates a vacuum for an answer to appear.
2. Questions direct attention. Asking a question defines the