Have you ever been ‘talked at’ instead of had someone ‘talk with’ you in a real life conversation? It doesn’t feel good to have someone talk AT you. It’s quite patronizing really. It leaves you feeling like you might as well not have been there at all.
Conventional change management can be like that – create a communication plan to talk at people. Manage resistance when they ignore your conversation.
In this post I explore the power of asking questions and I share 9 types of questions you can ask to increase engagement whether you’re leading change at work or in life. The 9 questions are:
1. What do you think about this change?
2. How do you feel about this change?
3. What do you see your role as in this change?
4. What is your opinion about this change?
5. What is your experience with this type of change?
6. What are you working on and how will you be impacted by this change?
7. What are your ideas about this change?
8. Would you change anything about this change?
9. Why do you think this change is needed (or not)?
Important note… Ask these questions and listen. No interruptions. No, “yeah, but…” Nothing. Nada. Zip it. Listen authentically. The group or person you are talking WITH will recognize your sincere intent which establishes connection — the foundation of any successful change.
ACTION
Of course there are plenty of other types of questions – what type do you ask and how do you find people respond? What question would you ask to round this list out to 10 questions to ask when leading change to get more engagement? Check out the lively responses to this post.
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Cheers!
~Melissa
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