What’s Your Style of Asking Questions?

Adversarial Strategic
Do you ask questions to help you find and fix what’s NOT working? Do you ask questions to understand and build on what IS working?
Do your questions leave people feeling depleted or resistant to change? Do your questions leave people energized and inspired to improve?

Productivity Implications

Actions are inhibited by fear that weaknesses will be revealed Actions are inspired by a commitment to find and capitalize on strengths
Ruminate about problems and failures Explore opportunities and possibilities
Risk-adverse and cautious about supporting new ideas Open to taking risks and eager to support new ideas
Focusing on problems inadvertently leads to repeating past mistakes Seeking an ideal solution stimulates people to create new and better alternatives
Prefer to maintain the status quo Thrive in a changing environment
Work to avoid mistakes Work to achieve results

Observations:

  • More than ninety percent of U.S. business communication is based on an adversarial style of asking questions that actually reinforces resistance to change and does more to compound problems than to solve them.
  • With its focus on identifying and building on strengths, the strategic style of asking questions produces intuitive insights that have problems quickly solving themselves.
  • The inviting nature of the intuitive style of asking questions makes it much easier for everyone to surface difficult issues that block progress so they can be quickly and effectively resolved.
  • Sharp gains in productivity occur when the thought leaders of an organization adopt a strategic style of asking questions.

    • From the book, “Breaking the Rules—Removing the Obstacles to Effortless High Performance,” by Kurt Wright—ISBN #978-0-615-34534-5. Order online at www.KinextPublishing.com.

    Thirty-one years of development and field-testing have gone into the intuition-based system of management now being offered to visionary leaders by Kinext.

    During the past seventeen years these intuition-based disciplines have been successfully implemented throughout the U.S. as well as in Canada, South America and Europe by leaders in such well respected companies as Shell Oil, 3M Company, Hallmark Cards, Rand McNally & Company, General Mills, Ball Corporation, Unisys, Hewlett Packard, Raychem, Xerox, Federal Express, Alberto Culver, Keebler, Butler Manufacturing and many more.

    Never before in the history of business have these intuition-based disciplines been more badly needed than in today’s fast-paced, rapidly changing global economy—where organizations must operate at ever higher levels of commitment, flexibility and responsiveness just to stay in the game.

    If you are a visionary leader who needs to harness the awesome power of shared vision for your organization, please use this site to explore the path we offer, or drop us an email directly to set up a meeting by phone or in person. If you know other visionaries who share your interest, invite them to visit this site and explore it with you.