Ever sat in a meeting wondering what you could say to stop the incessant wheel-spinning and solve some actual problems? Here are eight questions for you to ask so that your team can start pioneering and stop pivoting.
1. What have we done well, and what can we do better?
In leadership roles, you always want to know where the gaps are, and how to fix problems as soon as possible. But studies show that a psychological phenomenon called “positive reframing” in which one restructures a situation in a more agreeable, less punitive light can ultimately cause more productive results.
Rather than asking someone how they messed up, or what went wrong, ask them what they could do better, and cushion it by asking what they did that they may be proud of. You’ll more than likely achieve a more viable solution to your problem than had you reprimanded them.
2. Who else can we ask about this?
Another great way to solve problems is to get as much input as possible, throw it all to the wall, and see what sticks. If the four or five people at your meeting have some great ideas, but no one can seem to agree on them, maybe there’s a sixth or seventh person outside of the office that knows about the dynamics of your decision, and how to help.
You don’t need an expert in tech to ask about your new software, or a financial guru to ask about your next round of investing – if you explain the situation simply and honestly to someone with a good head on their shoulders, even if they’re not in your department, their unbiased response could be just what you need to move forward.
3. What could go wrong?
Rather than using business jargon like “blockers” or “pain points,” ask your coworkers forthrightly: what could go wrong? By laying out the circumstances that detail, when, and where problems could happen, allows you to preemptively solve them.
The difference here between finding “pain points” and laying out potentially problematic scenarios is that everyone will have their own issues with a project, and meetings can go on for hours getting caught up in the weeds of varying opinions and concerns. There aren’t an unlimited number of ways that something could go wrong, however, and outlining almost all of them can provide useful feedback.
4. How does this look in the long term?
Laying out a roadmap of the right results is just as important as laying out a roadmap of the wrong results. Look six months or one year down the line, and imagine that whatever you’re working on has either been resolved, launched, pitched, or come to fruition in any other way.
What does the world look like with your new addition in it? While it’s a bit like daydreaming, seeing how a venture will look in the long term can address problems before they even arise. Be careful with this suggestion, however, as you don’t want to spend meetings thinking about problems that don’t exist, you just want to prepare for a future in which your project could be a success.
5. What’s everyone else doing?
In order to figure out what problems you need to solve, you can always look around at other companies that are doing things similar to you or other case studies that might be relevant to your project.
There might be someone in your office who can take the pulse of the market or do a bit of research on how projects like yours tend to go, and what hindrances they might face. It’s also good to measure your competition because you might see that they’re all acting homogeneously, and there’s space for something inventive and interesting that they haven’t done before.
6. What have we gotten done since our last meeting?
While it’s important to look ahead, it’s just as important to look back, and make sure that everything has been accomplished since the last meeting in order to move forward. Whether unmet deadlines, budgeting concerns, or software issues are preventing your company from moving forward, by addressing who may have dropped the ball, you can be sure to know who would be best to pick it up, and who not to hand it to in the future.
7. Who’s the best person for that job?
This question fits in with both positive reframing and checking in since the last meeting. If you notice that things aren’t getting done, and the responsibility has been on one person to do it, rather than calling them out explicitly, open the door for fresh talent to walk through.
If the flaky party objects, expressing their history doing the task or their perceived aptitude with it, then gently persist, and mention how someone else might have a different outlook or an innovative method. They can always have the role back if the new formulation doesn’t work out, but it’s worth a try to experiment with someone new.
8. What’s next?
While laying out a roadmap of what the project will look like in the far future is a good move, it’s even more important to plan out what the immediate next week or two will look like.
Problems can be solved simply by laying out firmly and distinctly what everyone’s role is in the forward progression of a project, and by making firm deadlines for reasonable accomplishments.
You’ll save time, energy, and most importantly, you’ll solve more problems when everyone has a clearer idea of what they’re doing in the near future.
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