Asking good questions is a hallmark of intelligent leadership and enhanced employee problem solving. But in the fast-paced business world, it's easy to forget that not all questions are created equal. Too often we rely on a set of familiar questions without realizing that they may not be the most effective at unlocking potential or solving complex problems.
Research from Harvard Business Review1, unveils a surprisingly simple solution: Expand your range of questions. Following are the categories of questions to work into your question mix to expand your range.
Categories of Strategic Questions to Expand Your Range
By learning these five categories of strategic questions, you can boost decision-making, problem-solving, innovation, and ultimately, shape a more vibrant and positive company culture:
Investigative Questions – Get to the root of a problem or explore a potential solution in-depth. ("What happened?", "What are the causes of this issue?")
Speculative Questions – Get creative! Challenge assumptions and open new avenues of thinking and problem-solving. ("What if…?", "Could we do this differently?")
Productive Questions - Keep projects on track, decide when to speed up or slow down. ("Do we have the resources?", "Are we ready to decide?")
Interpretive Questions – Convert information into valuable insights, ensuring everything aligns with goals. ("How does this fit with…?", "What did we learn from this?")
Subjective Questions – Acknowledge that people drive businesses – understand the emotions, motivations, and potential hidden agendas that could impact a decision. ("How do you really feel about this?", "Have we consulted the right people?")
We will now dig into some tools which will help implement this approach to strategic question asking for your leadership and employees.
The Magic of Promotional Items as a Tool
So, where do promotional products fit into the power of strategic questions? Promotional items are excellent and almost magical tools in the hands of your leadership as well as your employees to:
Prompt conversations: A well-chosen promotional item can spark curiosity and deeper dialogue in a less intimidating way than a direct question.
Reinforce culture of questioning: Branded items with slogans or phrases encouraging critical thinking can act as daily reminders.
Create fun, engaging team-building: Use promotional items to gamify learning about these question types, boosting engagement and understanding.
Consider for example the Inquisitive Pen. A high-quality pen engraved with a thought-provoking question like "What if...?" or "How might we improve...?"
Every time a team member reaches for the pen, it's a reminder to approach tasks with a mindset of exploration. Imagine brainstorming where everyone is writing with these pens – ideas will flow more freely.
This signals that the organization values creativity and innovation. That asking questions is not just encouraged, but expected and reinforces the positive corporate culture.
Or how about the Strategic Thinking Stress Ball. A branded stress ball printed with a list of the 5 strategic question category types.
In moments of tension, instead of just squeezing mindlessly, a team member can look at the ball for guidance. It's a tactile reminder to take a breath and ask the deeper questions needed for good decision-making.
It reinforces the idea that strategic thinking even in stressful situations is important, normalizing a more thoughtful approach.
To wrap things up, following are some things to remember from these findings.
Here are the 5 things to remember…
- Not all questions are equal! The right questions can transform your team's effectiveness.
- There are 5 key category types of strategic questions your leaders and employees should master for better decision-making and problem-solving.
- A healthy company culture is a questioning culture.
- Promotional items can reinforce your commitment to a positive, growth-oriented work environment.
- Asking better questions unlocks innovation and problem-solving – that's the key to staying competitive!
Sources:
1. https://hbr.org/2024/05/the-art-of-asking-smarter-questions
2. https://hbr.org/podcast/2024/04/are-you-asking-the-right-questions