Using questions to bring clarity to what will happen when
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Good questions are the most powerful tools available to us
The questions we use to support Action are intended to clarify what is going to happen, in a practical and tangible sense, to realise the benefit of the meeting, and to build commitment around that.
One of the biggest wastes of meeting time is poor delivery of actions arising from them. The consequences of this are more meetings, repeated content and stress. Good questions can help mitigate this,
Simple Questions
Perhaps the most important questions to ask are borne out of Kipling’s six serving men poem.
- What needs to happen?
- Why is this important (what difference does it need to make)?
- Who will take responsibility for ensuring that difference is realised?
- When do we/they plan to deliver that?
- How do we/they plan to deliver that?
- Where does this need to happen?
Structured/Sequenced Questions
- Who would bet $500 of their own money on the actions we have set being delivered in the agreed timescale? What would need to be different for you to feel confident in getting it back? Can we do something about that?
- What is your 15 percent? Where do you have discretion and freedom to act? What can you do without more resources or authority? (For more information see Liberating Structures page on 15% Solutions)
- What are all the different ways our plans can go wrong? Which are the most likely and impactful of these? What can we do to mitigate their effect?
General
Many of the above questions can be asked simply of individuals or groups, but it is often helpful to consider more sophisticated or progressive groupings to better support engagement with the question and refinement of the answers. Options to do this can be found in Grouping options within meeting sessions
Track your progress to ensure the efficacy of this strategy.