If you answered, “Yes,” you’re likely to be delusional (because you really aren’t) or very foolish (because you are). Neither one of those are admirable traits in leaders. If you’re delusional, you lack self-awareness and put your capabilities above others, even when it isn’t warranted. If you’re very foolish and have surrounded yourself with others less capable than yourself, you’re missing out on tapping into the talents of others.
What is another characteristic of leaders of successful organizations? They don’t have all the answers, but they come up with some really good questions. What is the power of really good questions? They invite involvement by others and encourage idea generation. They also are critical for the analysis of risks and the identification of opportunities. By not being locked into only one way of thinking, these leaders can explore multiple scenarios before setting the path for the organization.
You have probably read that to effectively communicate something, it needs to be repeated 7-10 times. Questions are more powerful because they only need to be asked three times. The first time you ask a question, the person may or may not have the answer. If they didn’t have the answer the first time you ask, then the second time they get the message that this is important. By the third time you ask, either they will have the answer or you know this person needs some coaching.
Did you know that one of the best business books ever written is filled with questions, not pat answers that demand the same solution despite the many differences there are in organizations? The Baldrige Excellence Framework
https://www.nist.gov/baldrige has continued to evolve with regular revisions to include the leading edge, validated best practices of leadership and management. But the initial format hasn’t changed. It’s still a set of questions around elements of the framework: Leadership; Strategy; Customers; Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management; Workforce; Operations, and Results. Responses are not prescribed but left to the direction set by the senior leaders, and the maturity of your organization is described by the scoring guidelines.
You don’t need to write an award application to get value from the Baldrige Excellence Framework. Having meaningful discussions with your senior leaders to come to consensus on your answers to these insightful questions will foster focus and alignment in your organization. And just the fact that you’ve had to grapple with understanding the questions and agreeing on your answers will reinforce resilience in your organization as you set out on a common direction. A great place to start is answering the questions in the Organizational Profile with your senior leaders. This helps your team get on the same page. The rest of the organization will appreciate your clarity.
It takes courage to admit that you don’t have all the answers, but it takes true leadership to ask the right questions. Are you up to the challenge?
