When you assume, you make an…you know how the adage goes. It’s true. Luckily, there is a better approach. Just ask. Get in the habit of asking questions to make certain. In many cases, questions—and their answers—help eliminate the need to make assumptions. Good questions will also improve your executive coaching and strategic planning. Even better: this works for businesspeople in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kentucky and Jacksonville, Florida.
The root of most problems
Poor communications causes most problems in business, if not life. Messages are vague or imprecise and hurriedly jotted off with thumbs. The result? Misinterpretation.
Most of us are in a hurry. We have a thought in our head, and we tell someone to go take care of that thing right away. Unfortunately, the other person doesn’t know exactly what we’re talking about. So, they guess. And they guess wrong.
Is our fast-paced world partly to blame? Yes. But this isn’t about blame. It’s about improving communication, so we get more of the right stuff done faster.
Just ask
Let’s take the example above. All the person who received the vague request had to do is ask for clarification. So why didn’t they? One possible explanation is they didn’t want to look bad. They’ve seen other people almost read someone’s mind and handle the matter quickly. They were too concerned that they would look slow if they stopped to ask a question.
No one wants an office full of people walking on eggshells. Especially the employees who are walking around on said eggshells. Luckily, there is a better way. Just ask.
Encourage everyone on your team to ask questions. Get the clarification up front. After all, there are no bad questions, only questions that should have been asked.
Krissi Barr of Barr Corporate Success
At Barr Corporate Success, we’ve been asking the right questions for nearly twenty years. Our customers rely on us for executive coaching, strategic planning and much more. Most clients are in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kentucky or Jacksonville, Florida, but we work with people all over America. Looking to find out more about our consulting services? Call us…and just ask.
