Two people are having a conversation. One person is asking all the questions and the other person is giving all the answers.
Who controls the conversation?
The one asking the questions!
That being so…If you are a manager who is answering your people’s questions all day long, then that means they are in control of every conversation with you.
As a manager, every time you provide your people an answer for which you could have asked a question, you have removed their need to think for themselves.
On the other hand, encouraging them to think helps them to grow. They will be better equipped for next time they have a question, and may not even need to ask it.
Now, you can’t just go through your day responding to every question with a question. However, getting a better balance of questions and answers will make you a better manager.
By the way, this applies to conversations with children as well 🙂
My best wishes, Paul
