"The Grundl Leadership Institute researches and teaches high-quality distinctions so that your life becomes your best teacher." On Boris Grundl's Instagram channel, we, the institute's team, regularly report on our personal experiences with this mission. In my latest IGTV video, for example, I talked about the distinction between "saying vs. asking." Today, I would like to share these insights with you in a blog post.
He who asks leads
In my previous roles as leader training manager, I often stated things and shared information rather than asking questions. In other words, I gave instructions and set guidelines, for example, on how a task should be completed. I asked fewer questions.
The reason for this behavior was that, at the time, I was unconsciously in the mode of"wanting to be understood"rather than"wanting to understand."Essentially, this means that people who "say"rather than "ask"want to be understood. Someone who gives fewer orders and instructions, but instead asks questions and thus listens more, wants to understand.
Those who ask questions understand better
When the result was not achieved at that time despite my instructions and specifications, I was always surprised. In my opinion, I had clearly told the person concerned what to do. Or had I not?
Since I became aware of this distinction— statements vs. questions —my impact has changed on several levels: Today, I ask more, higher-quality, and in some cases Developing Questions. This helps me find out and understand whether my counterpart understands me. Whether they have everything they need to solve a specific task or deliver a concrete result. It's not just the results that have improved since then. At the same time, I have noticed that asking questions and wanting to understand has positive side effects.
Respect, trust, results
For example: better team building and more harmonious cooperation. Today, it's very clear to me: asking questions shows respect for the other person. Trust grows. After all, I'm genuinely interested in whether the other person understands and is even capable of delivering certain results.
This awareness helps me enormously in my day-to-day management work—and not only there. When communicating with customers, especially in sales, asking smart questions and wanting to understand is one of the top skills for achieving great results. I have also benefited greatly from applying this distinction in my private life.
I invite you to take a moment to reflect: Where do you talk more? And where do you ask intelligent and Developing Questions? I hope you found this article useful, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts, experiences, and opinions on this distinction.
Yours, Jochen Hummel
P.S. If you want Developing Questions deeper into the topic Developing Questions , secure one of the coveted spots in our seminar in March now. There are still a few spots available: Leading Simple Direkt© – Successful leadership from person to person
