Quick Question: How should we end the year?

This is a great litmus test for how your feelings might unconsciously impact your team.

Try to listen for:

• Distractions -  projects or tasks that won't contribute to your accomplishments for the year

• Recency - it’s easy to only think about things that happened last week or last month rather than reflecting on the whole year

• Anticipation  - the things that pop into your mind as you look forward to the end of this year and the beginning of next year.

This question helps create a sense of accomplishment and sets the scene for an enthusiastic start to the new year.

Quick Question: How should we end the year?

This is a great litmus test for how your feelings might unconsciously impact your team.

Try to listen for:

• Distractions -  projects or tasks that won't contribute to your accomplishments for the year

• Recency - it’s easy to only think about things that happened last week or last month rather than reflecting on the whole year

• Anticipation  - the things that pop into your mind as you look forward to the end of this year and the beginning of next year.

This question helps create a sense of accomplishment and sets the scene for an enthusiastic start to the new year.

Quick Question: How will we know we’ve succeeded?

It’s easy to talk about high-level success indicators - but it’s worth taking the time to listen for measurable outcomes wherever possible.

Quick Question: Who has done this before?

As leaders, we often feel the pressure to have all the answers. Seeking the perspective of experienced others can help reduce this pressure and enable us to focus on the most important questions.

This question helps us remember to leverage our networks and seek thought partnership wherever we can.

Quick Question: Why do we need more information?

There’s always a trade-off between the time delays of seeking more information and the benefits and risks of more immediate action. Leadership wisdom is understanding the trade-off and making an active choice.

Quick Question: What would it look like if it was fun?

Sometimes it’s a little too easy to talk ourselves into how difficult or boring something might be. 

Try to listen for:

• The Fun Police -  the voice that tells us everything we won't like about it.

• Connection to Passion and Purpose - ways to encourage the team to link the dreaded project with the impact they want to have on customers or the community

• A Hint of Possibility - a sense that new ideas and connections could create something special and unexpected

This question helps reframe our thinking and inject new enthusiasm into our work.

Quick Question: Who needs my support?

As leaders, one of our greatest responsibilities is ensuring our team (and our colleagues) feel supported.

Try to listen for:

• Silence - Sometimes we ask a question that is just too hard for the listener to answer. That’s a good sign they might need a little extra help.

• Confusion  - If you’re receiving vague, unclear or incomplete responses, it may be a sign that they are feeling overwhelmed.

• Fast-talking—When the pace of language is unusually fast, a few well-placed questions could help slow them down and refocus their attention.

This question helps identify pivotal moments that direct our attention (and our team’s) to the things that matter most.

Quick Question: What am I missing?

It’s tempting to only hear ‘new things’ when listening to responses. Challenge yourself to listen to how your thoughts are echoed and built upon.

Try to listen for:

• Alternate descriptions - Notice how someone new explains the problem. Let a fresh voice give you a new perspective.

• Certainty - Seek data or opinions that seem stronger and more certain than yours.

• Unexpected emotions - If your curiosity produces an unexpected response, tread gently and offer help and kindness.

This question can help deepen your understanding of both problems and people.

Quick Question: Who should I thank?

This is a question that we often ask ourselves rather than others. When holding up that mirror, the challenge is to make sure we think of all the different angles.

Quick Question: What can we learn from...?

Whether it's the end of a project, the early days of new product design or team planning, integrating past learnings is critical.

Listen for genuine insights, consistent messages and unresolved conversations.