Tips to Pinpoint Real Issues At Work

Often, when people tell us about something that's worrying them, they talk "around" the topic. Counselors call it the "presenting issue." It can be difficult for them to get right to the heart of the issue; or, they may not be clear and able to articulate what they are thinking and feeling. If you feel that concerns aren't getting out into the open, use these questions that will help bring important clues to the surface. 

Four Good Questions to Get You There

1. What do you consider the fundamental thing that we should be trying to achieve?

2. If you had the sole choice, what would you most like to see happen now?

3. Can you think of three specific areas that concern you about this issue?

4. What else is causing you to worry about this?

Questions help people clarify what may be fuzzy or difficult to discuss. Asking--then listening--will help you become a trusted colleague and interpersonal leader.

Note: Thank you for continuing to subscribe to All Things Workplace as we continue to try creating actionable ideas that you can apply immediately on-the-job. Keep an eye out for our upcoming book designed to help managers quickly reference the "how to's" of daily professional leadership.

It's About the "So What?" Factor

You'll either be giving, or listening to, a presentation or pitch of some sort this week. 

When we speak, our audience has a set of mental scanners with blinking lights waiting for the "So What?" question to finally be answered. Those blinking lights pick up nuggests of wisdom until they add up to,  "This is how I can apply that to my life or my work." Make it easy. Tell them the answer to "So what?"

  When you do, the scanning stops and  they tune in to hear even more. 

Note: Don't assume that your well-researched facts will automatically add up to the same conclusion you reached. Tell them the conclusion and the application as you see it. The mind abhors a vaccuum. If you leave one, the vaccuum will be filled--be not necessarily with the same "So What?"

Lessson: Orchestrate your presentation outcome by stating it. If you start getting a lot of questions, you've done a good job. Questions mean people are engaged, not upset with your riff. 

So here's your mantra for the week: "So what?" When you become the person who answers that, you also become the person who turns theory into practical application. That's adding real value.

Telling The Truth About Talent

  If you want to be the person who offers real value in a Talent Management discussion, then be the person who demands the truth about performance.
Organizations are all about power and equilibrium. Over time, "conventional wisdom"  creates the list of high potential candidates. Then, at "developmental discussion" time the same names often keep popping up, unquestioned.
Preparing for my keynote at a Halogen Software User Conference I interviewed some CEO clients and their direct reports. The question: "What would make your HR person a leader in your eyes?" The answer: "Ask the hard questions when a name is proposed for promotion or a new assignment." 
The execs shared how easy it is to have someone perform well in one assignment, then have that single success create a "career aura." When it comes time for succession planning and development, no one really questions the totality of the individual's success.
The lesson for HR folks (and the rest of us): Ask for the evidence. Value rests with the one who helps uncover the truth about performance.
Your organization's future depends on it.