The Association Blog

Four powerful asks that can help move any discussion forward

Whether you’re in your weekly one-on-one or having a ten-minute conversation in the breakroom, asking the right questions can help move any discussion forward.

The Center for Creative Leadership names asking powerful questions as one of their four core skills for coaches and managers. “Making non-directive inquiries that draw out more information and stretch the other person’s thinking,” they shared in a recent article, “is a learned skill that must be practiced.”

CCL shared the following examples as inspiration:

• What else could you do?
• Who else have you talked to about this?
• Who else is affected in this situation?
• How do you want the rest of the team to feel about this?

Why not commit to trying one of these—or a variation of it—in a conversation this week?

Leave a comment here and let us know how it went, or if you have any similar questions that have been particularly effective in your work.