Skip to main content

Nature of questions and Impact they generate

By Bamboo In The Wind
Through some knocks I have taken in the past, over time, I have learned to distinguish between types of questions based on "impact" answers will create.
  • Is it an information question? Quick answer is possible. Impact to "others" may be minimal.
  • Is it a decision making question? Quick answer is possible. Impact to "others" may be significant.
  • Is it an opinion question? Quick turn-around is ok. Impact to “others” may depend on how the sample size polled responds.
  • Is it a problem solving question? Instant response is possible. But well researched follow-up may be better, for, impact to “others” may be more immediate and significant.
How question get answered depends on “How” a question is asked and the “Trust” contract between person who asked and person who answers. Commitment in the answer will depend on level of “Engagement” that already exists between persons involved.

Similar relationship may develop when there is a person “Interested” in something and there is an option available to “Explore” that very interest. Real problem solving will take place when there is an “Engagement” even in this case.

At the time question is asked, it is too late to assess if answer is likely to be useful - as - the “Engagement” is either already strong and you are confident of usefulness of what you may get back or it may very well be weak and so there should be no surprise with what you may receive.

Trouble is - it’s a lot of patient work to constantly gauge where this Engagement lever is on the relationship Fulcrum to keep both sides in focus and balanced. Then it does not matter what roles the people involved play. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Checks and balances!

By Bamboo In The Wind
Defining a good purpose, setting a target goal and getting people working on them is usually not enough! There are too many aspects involved in getting the results we want. For example, there is an aspect of painting the big picture, working on motivation management, productivity tracking, building experimentation labs, and erecting resilient systems that systematize the workflows. Just putting bodies to work and defining milestones rarely achieves the right results. The other aspects that help march towards the milestones in an orderly manner, they are equally important. At the very least, they make objectives widely understandable and results more attainable. The job of a thought leader is to enable progress and enable recovery. Therefore, it is never enough to have just ideas. Those with ideas also have the responsibility to assemble the work environment in such a way as to create situations containing the energy disperses. Energy dispersal from lack of clarity, loss of motivation, ...
Post a Comment
Next »

Choking the communication channel.

By Bamboo In The Wind
There are instances where everything looks in order. Structures are rightly in place. Right roles are defined. Responsibilities are distributed. Bi-directional open communication is expected to take place. And with that, collective work is expected to turn out productive. Yet, when the action begins, everything breaks apart. Productivity dwindles, cooperation is missing, and ad-hoc interactions are common-place That creates chaos. No one appears in charge even though there is someone responsible. It clearly is a sign of broken communication channels. A well-orchestrated workplace focuses on methods to communicate grounds-up and top-down. It encourages patient listening, internalizing and responding rather than reacting. All effective open communication channels are a result of making such communication possible. Often, the structures are set such that you centralize communication of every bit of your activity to someone in the hierarchy. Over time it turns into a permission-based inter...
1 comment
Next »

The hyacinth at the surface - nectar - just beneath!

By Bamboo In The Wind
The envy of comparison is an unconscious, quietly growing emotion, like water hyacinth spreading unnoticed on a pond's surface. It surrounds the nectar of the water, creating the illusion of poison. The water itself, however, is inherently sweet, with the nectar infused deeply within it. But just cast off the tangled trap of those creeping vines, and the water will reveal its true nature—flowing freely, tirelessly, with a sparkling clarity. Water’s existence, its entire journey, is one of cooperation, of giving endlessly with a pure heart.  Even in the face of numerous obstacles and thorns along its path, water remains undeterred—a divine miracle, no doubt, but one forged through relentless effort. Who notices this journey? Who understands it? Water has no respite—it constantly battles friction and wear. "Why is this thorny life my lot?" It may ask, as feelings of resentment, anger, jealousy, hatred, sorrow, and helplessness arise. Just when it seems trapped, its spirit s...
Post a Comment
Next »