Simple Communication Tools to Build Curiosity at Work
I sometimes shadow the leaders and teams I work with to understand the team dynamics. Many leaders don’t realise they do this in the moment, but when they ask questions, they often tend to:
- assume that they know better
- jump to problem solving
- believe that their perspective is the most reasonable one.
As an external observer, it’s easy for me to notice this, but it’s not so easy to spot when you’re the leader.
Staying curious takes intentional practice.
It’s funny because we are born with this skill – curiosity. As children, we are curious about everything and anything and we ask earnest questions, without agendas or ulterior motives. Pure blissful curiosity.
But at some point, we train ourselves out of this curiosity and earnestness. When we lead, we need to hone this skill. How else are we to get to know someone, understand them, and, of course – lead them.
Using Open Questions, Reflection and Clarification to Lead Better
I want to share some of my go-to tools to invite curiosity:
- Open questions – instead of leading them towards the answer you anticipate, meet them with open-ended questions that leave room for unexpected insights for both of you.
- Reflecting back – two people can hear the same words and get completely different meanings from them. Reflect back to the other person what you understood, seeking confirmation and common ground. You’ll be surprised how often what we understood is not what was said.
- Clarifying questions – powerful questions can unlock powerful answers, answers you may not have been prepared for. Seek clarification to progress your understanding and the conversation.
You might find these simple. They are simple, and many of us think we already communicate well. Often, we tend to overestimate that.
Do you feel like you already do this well? Or could you do with a reminder to practice this curiosity in your day-to-day leading?
All good things,
Juliet Robinson
Leadership and Change Specialist
