When people working with me face a perplexing problem, they often ask for guidance. I can’t help but feel a little flattered. They are obviously stumped, and they expect I will have the answer. My first instinct is to sit back, stroke my chin, recount an impressive story or two, and then tell them what to do.
3 Questions to Help Your Team Solve Problems
Don’t succumb to the temptation to provide all the answers. Instead, help your team get there themselves.
August 13, 2021
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Summary.
When a team struggles with a problem, there’s a temptation for a boss to provide answers. A better approach is to ask questions that help the team arrive at answers itself. The author offers three questions: 1) What do you recommend? 2) How can we test that? 3) What do you need from me?
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HBR Learning
HBR Learning
Leading People Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Leading People. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
What you need to know about being in charge.