Optimising the performance of your team members as individuals and as a team calls on many diverse leadership skills which may differ with every interaction and depend on the specific person and circumstances.
As well as knowing their competence levels in doing the specific job, it is important to know what motivates them, and what is important to each of them. It’s also important to know how they are feeling and their physical, mental and emotional state at the time.
Each interaction is a unique opportunity and calls for a considered approach. Treating each person as an individual ensures that they feel respected, trusted, appreciated and valued. With this, they will help you deliver great results.
One of the key elements to knowing your team members is developing skills around asking better questions. Different questions are required for differing circumstances.
In many workplaces, leaders ask too many closed questions and, by doing so, run the risk of alienating their team. There are times when closed questions are needed, but using open questions can help build rapport and trust across the team.
Open Questions.
When you want people to expand and offer opinions, an open question is ideal. When you want to gather detailed information, understand the “why” behind opinions, or uncover deeper insights than a simple “yes” or “no” response can provide, these are the best type of questions.
Open questions also give the other person the feeling that they are valued and appreciated. That their opinions matter.
Instead of saying “Did you finish that work?,” ask “How did you find the work?” or “How do you think we could improve the task, or process,” or “What risks/hazards did you encounter that impacted the work?”
Similarly, when allocating work, ask the person to repeat back to you what they are going to do, to ensure they understand the task. Ask them how they think it may be best completed. If you ask a closed question here, like “Is that clear”, they will usually say yes, as they don’t want to feel stupid (especially if others are present). This can lead to errors and lost time and productivity as well as, potentially, an injury.
Closed Questions
At times when you need to progress things and ensure things are clear, a closed question can be used. When you need to collect quantifiable data, like numbers or simple yes/no answers, or when you want to compare responses across different groups or time periods.
Questions like “Do you have your PPE?”, “How many widgets have you made?” or “Will you complete that task before 4-30?”, ensure that you get the facts that you need quickly.
Leading Questions.
There are times when you’re coaching your team members, and you want to draw out information, and a leading question is preferred. You know what you want them to answer, and you guide them with the way the question is structured. These can be used to guide the team in a direction whilst involving them in the process.
These questions may look like “Do you think John’s idea is the best way forward?” or “Do you think it would be better to wait for a break in the weather before continuing?” These still give the person a feeling that they have been consulted, but in reality, you have steered them to the answer.
If the team members feel appreciated and valued, they will work better, with a sense of belonging and engagement. They also feel a sense of control over their work, which increases their sense of worth within the team.
Productivity, Wellbeing and Performance increase, and Attrition, Absenteeism and Presenteeism reduce.
It’s amazing what you can achieve by framing and structuring your conversations and questions when communicating with members of your team.
