\u200bAs a manager, you\u2019re responsible for teaching your reports new skills, and helping them develop professionally to unlock their potential in their current position.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a big role\u2014and it can be even more challenging when they have different work styles, goals, and abilities from yours.<\/p>\n
How can you bridge the gap? Asking good questions makes a difference. These three let you figure out what your employees are thinking, struggling with, and hoping to achieve.<\/p>\n
When your reports come to you with an issue or request, your first instinct probably is to tell them what to do.<\/p>\n
However, you\u2019ll miss a valuable opportunity to help them grow. They\u2019ll learn more if they develop a solution or answer by themselves\u2014with encouragement from you, of course.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s say you\u2019re a sales manager, and one of your reps, Samantha, says, \u201cI\u2019m having trouble with this part of the sales process. What do you recommend?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rather than immediately saying, \u201cDo such and such,\u201d turn the question around and ask, \u201cWhat are your ideas?\u201d<\/p>\n
This exercise will empower Samantha, make her more independent, and solve her problem in one fell swoop.<\/p>\n
Sometimes it isn\u2019t feasible to allow your employee to find an answer on their own. Maybe it\u2019s a time-sensitive issue or simply a very high-stakes situation. In any case, you need to give them directions right away.<\/p>\n
But, for the best results, don\u2019t phrase your directions as a statement. Your report might reply, \u201cOh, yeah, I\u2019ve already done that, and it didn\u2019t work [for this reason].\u201d<\/p>\n
Not only will you lose a little credibility, but some reports will feel uncomfortable challenging you and might just say nothing\u2014meaning they\u2019ll walk away without a solution.<\/p>\n
The better approach is asking, \u201cHave you tried X?\u201d If the answer is yes, you can offer another idea. And if the answer is no, say, \u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019d recommend.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regularly gauging how challenged your employees feel is an important part of keeping them engaged. When they feel too comfortable\u2014a five or lower on the scale\u2014they\u2019ll get bored. Plus, they won\u2019t be learning anything new, which means you\u2019re limiting their career growth.<\/p>\n
When they feel too much out of their comfort zone\u2014an eight or higher\u2014they\u2019ll be stressed, unproductive, and unhappy.<\/p>\n
If you ask this question on a monthly basis, you\u2019ll be able to balance their workload so they\u2019re always a six or seven. As an added benefit, your employees will appreciate your concern.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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