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Have you ever really wanted to work with someone, perhaps a potential partner, mentor, or team leader, but didn’t know how to make it happen? Maybe you want to become more of a “people person,” learn how to make meaningful connections or step into leadership at work.
No matter what goals you may have, learning how to keep the lines of communication open will create new opportunities, moving you forward in achieving your purpose at work. Here are five circumstances in which you can use the power of asking the right questions to open doors and lead you to new opportunities and connections.
Related: How to Ask Really Powerful Questions as a Leader (And Why They’re Important)
1. Open new opportunities
If you’re meeting with a potential business partner, mentor, or team leader, you should have some basic questions below the surface. Often, it is not easy to meet new people. Icebreakers typically consist of comments about the weather, sports teams, or transportation.
Getting others to talk about themselves instead of just the usual give and take is an art and a skill. You can start with the old “who, what, where, when, why” format of newspaper articles. For example, you could ask, “Who is your teacher?” Or “Why did you start your business?” If you are collaborating with another organization, you can ask, “What services do you offer that I might need?” Questions that focus on these categories can more quickly reveal whether certain networking relationships will lead to results for you and your company.
2. Get to know your team
Under the pressure of daily work, it’s easy to feel invisible and unheard. Creating a culture of asking the right questions unlocks your ability to get to know the person behind your team members. Whether someone is recognized for their technology knowledge, sales savvy, or writing ability, we are all so much more than the sum of our skills. It’s important to get to know your team’s passion, their vision for their future, and why they are working at the company at this time in their lives.
You may learn things that set one team member apart from the rest — they may help seniors or people with disabilities on their days off — but you won’t reveal this valuable information unless you ask. You may discover that they have an entrepreneurial spirit and have a fun side hustle or family business. Or you may discover that they travel, which could open up new vacation spots for you or expand the way you do your job. The right questions create a culture of respect, which helps people reveal more of who they are.
Related: Life is too short to work with incompatible people — follow these 3 secrets to building high-performance teams
3. Know your audience
When you start bringing team members into your circle, it’s important to know your audience. In other words, get to know the people you’re dealing with and be open and inclusive while dealing with them rather than shutting down the flow of communication. Don’t ask questions that put them in an embarrassing situation. For example, don’t assume that your team members want to talk about politics or that they all love sports. Be inclusive rather than expecting everyone to agree with your position or point of view.
It’s important to make sure the person you’re talking to is a good recipient of what you’re saying. Giving people the space to be themselves lets them know that you value them and want to get to know their true personality. Like many people, you may not feel comfortable breaking the ice and involving team members you don’t know well, but you can find help.
There are plenty of online resources that provide lists of open-ended questions you can use, such as “If you had a superpower, what would it be?” Or “If you were a time traveler, what time period would you go back to?” Asking them to explain their answer will allow them to reveal their personality in ways that usual communication styles do not allow.
4. Ask interview questions
Whether you’re interviewing a candidate for a job or making a discovery call versus collaboration, asking the right questions gets the other person talking in a way that reveals what you need to know. In business, there are drivers and passengers when it comes to having a conversation. The driver is not the one talking all the time; The driver is the one who asks the questions that guide the meaningful conversation.
Business leaders ask interview questions to quickly identify who is a good fit for the company and who is not. I often ask why a candidate wants to work at my business. I know immediately if they have done any research or know anything at all about what we do. Asking a question like, “What do you hope to get out of this experience?” It can reveal the candidate’s purpose. You can also uncover a potential employee’s strength or resilience by asking about a challenge they’ve had to overcome in life. Asking the right questions in an interview can bring out someone’s true character, and you only have a few minutes to assess them.
Related: The Only Interviewing Technique Guaranteed to Get the Truth
5. Get to know yourself
Effective questioning does not always have to involve another person. Sometimes the relationship you need to work on the most is with yourself. Having honest, thought-provoking questions to ask yourself monthly, quarterly, or even daily can open you up to growth. For example, it is useful to evaluate your progress in the company from time to time or even your motivation to provide the type of service your position requires.
Ask yourself the tough questions: Am I living my purpose? Is the lifestyle of a business leader right for me? Am I happy? Keeping a journal or taking notes on your phone can help you keep your heart and mind in alignment, and make sure your personal goals and dreams don’t get pushed aside by the flow of work. If you find it difficult to be honest with yourself, you may find an accountability partner, someone with compatible goals. You can also seek out a mentor to guide you in planning how to navigate the changes needed in your life, especially if your deeper questions reveal that you have deviated from the path you originally set for yourself.
Applying these five strategies can be a game-changer for anyone who feels they are missing human connection. Engaging team members, colleagues, and potential employees with respect and grace can open doors and make your company a place where everyone wants to work.
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