Asking the right questions to stay in control

When you’re in a time of crisis, the ability to rely on the right questions to point you in the right direction makes a significant difference to your outlook.

The simple power of asking the right questions will help you build a reassuring sense of control and confidence when you need it most.

This performance fix will introduce you to a very simple process that you can practise regularly so that it becomes an essential and much trusted part of your leadership and performance toolkit.

Reading time: 15 minutes

The Simple Power of asking the right questions

We’d recommend sharing these questions with everyone you work with so that you can all quickly and easily access the questions when you need them, and get into the habit of answering them with expertise, commitment and impact.

Four simple questions, each with some necessary supplements, aimed towards finding simple actions and powerful answeres.

Establish the demands or outline the challenge

1. What does success look like?
2. What are your playing conditions?

Establish what you’ve got to help meet the challenge

3. What have you got right now that you can use?
4. What are you going to choose to add?

Taking Aim

When asking the right questions get your team to tune into the success-based questions. These are the most important to answere as they will help you come to an agreement about what you’re trying to achieve, and more importantly, understand how you’re going to achieve it.

  • What does success look like?
  • During this period of change, is there a specific end result you can aim towards?
  • In this period where the game is changing, what characteristics and qualities do you want to lead with, one day at a time?
  • What do you want yourself and other people to be saying about how you performed during this period of change?

Tune into your field of play

Facing the reality of the conditions you’re in ensures a balanced, pragmatic mindset and approach to your performance.

What are your playing conditions?

  • What elements of your day-to-day have stayed the same and provide a good platform for you to achieve your success from?
  • What things have changed in the current situation that are potentially helpful in achieving the success you’re pursuing?
  • What things have changed in the current situation that are potentially unhelpful in achieving the success you’re aiming for?

Gathering existing ingredients

You’ve got a whole host of useful qualities gathered over time, so now’s the time to realise all of your knowledge, strengths, skills and experience that will help you deliver the success you’re aiming for.

What have you got already that you can use?

  • Do a full audit of all of your Performance (search Performance Pie on TPR) and list your strengths
  • How well are you using all of these strengths and performance ingredients right now?
  • What can you do to make even greater use of your strengths and performance ingredients in pursuit of the success you’re aiming for?

Adding to the mix

Even though you’ve established everything you’ve got available to help deliver the success in the current conditions, you’ll benefit from identifying if there are any specific upgrades you can gain an advantage from.

What do you need to add?

  • What new knowledge and skills do you need to add to your performance mix to deliver the success you’re aiming for in these changed conditions?
  • Who do you need to bring into your team who’s got knowledge, skill or expertise that will add to your chances of success?
  • Who’s support or guidance will add to your chances of success and what is the best way for you to get what you need from them?