Leading with Questions, 3rd Edition

9Using Questions to Solve Problems

How many times have you jumped straight to the solutions to a problem, only to realize later that, if you had first asked questions and listened, you could have come up with much better answers? Nilofer Merchant notes that problem solving is all about asking smart(er) questions. Smart questions can “define the problem well and lead to a clear vision of the issues involved.” Gaining clarity of the problem makes it easier and more likely that you will arrive at actions that are powerful and sustainable.¹ Peter Drucker declared that the most common source of mistakes in solving problems was the emphasis that leaders put on “finding the right answer rather than the right question.”

Frank Andracchi of the Constellation Generation Group stresses the importance of questions whenever he is involved in problem solving: “Using questions to solve problems, explore issues, and minimize the influence of different personalities during the problem‐solving process is extremely powerful.” For one problem‐solving session with his team, the group agreed to the ground rule that team members could only make statements in response to questions. As a result, he says, “I found the use of questions resulted in a clear definition of the problem and a much more open flow of information as the group could only answer the questions, and by focusing on asking and answering questions, a significant improvement in comprehension of the information presented. I quickly realized ...