Questions that Get Results: Innovative Ideas Managers Can Use to Improve Their Team’s Performance

Dec. 28, 2010 - PRLog -- WILMINGTON, DE | Nov 29, 2010 | Authors Paul Cherry and Patrick Connor understand the art of the question. They write about it in their just-released book, Questions That Get Results: Innovative Ideas Managers Can Use to Improve Their Teams' Performance, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Some questions are well intentioned, but garner little useful information:
•   ‘‘How’s it going?’’
•   ‘‘How are you coming along with _________ (the project, task, job, customer, etc.)?’’
•   ‘‘Do you have any questions?’’
When employees get vague questions like these, their answers have little substance.

Instead, ask questions with what Cherry and Connor call ‘‘descriptive openers:” phrases that initiate dialogue and motivate people to open up.
•   ‘‘Will you please describe for me how you think we could improve this process?’’
•   ‘‘Can you clarify for me how this idea will meet our requirements?’’
•   ‘‘Will you please share with me which systems, programs, or people are helpful, and which are a hindrance?’’

Think you know what your employees want? Cherry says misguided managers feel it’s not their job to inspire excellence from their employees. Others think all employees want the same reward system. But employers must respect employees’ differences. Managers must address those differences so employees will perform above and beyond expectations. Understand your employees like you understand your customers; find out what they want from their relationships and what it is they value. The only way to understand what people value is to engage them—by asking them!

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Performance Based Results provides sales training, leadership development, on-site workshops, and webinars. Its questioning techniques help customers and leaders alike. PBR's 1,200 clients range from small family companies to Fortune 500 corporations.