Good questions are questions that will take us forward. Which help to develop thoughts that have the potential to solve problems!
Now most people have internalized that you have to analyze problems in order to be able to solve them. So they analyze. They ask questions to better understand the problem. The result: They are so deep in the problem – the state of the non-problem – that they couldn’t be further away.
It is much more effective if you are looking for a solution (and a solution can also be an idea, a new product, a new opportunity) to dwell on your questions in the area of the solution.
- Do not analyze the problem, but outline the solution.
- Do not ask what the situation is today, but what it is going to be like.
- Don’t ask about obstacles, but opportunities and resources.
- Don’t look for reasons, look for opportunities.
What does this look like in concrete terms?
Suppose your employee didn’t make a note, even though you asked her to do so.
The typical reflex is, “Why didn’t they make the note?”
Much better questions are, for example, “What would help you make the note in the future?” Or “What was the goal you had in mind when you decided against the note?”
Solution-oriented issues are strong tools. They allow the shift from a war-cushioned inner attitude to a relaxed, open and curious attitude. It is only with this attitude that a clear reflection on the matter is only possible.
Do you want to experience what happens when solution-oriented questions are asked in high density and intensity on the topics with which you cannot get on alone or which weigh on you?
Do you want to practice resigning and pausing internally when your reviews are between you and those around you?
Mindfulness-based coaching could be helpful. Read more about it here.
