The Power of Questions — Why Leading with Questions Improves Meetings

The Power of Questions — Why Leading with Questions Improves Meetings

by | Feb 23, 2023 | Communication Skills, Facilitation Skills, Leadership Skills, Meeting Structure

The HBR (Harvard  Business Review) article, The Surprising Power of Questions by Professors Alison Wood Brooks and Leslie K. John declares that “the secret to being more likable and improving interpersonal bonding isn’t being polite, helpful, or having a good sense of humor. It’s asking more questions.”

The Power of Questions -- Why Leading with Questions Improves Meetings

This is the first of 2 articles on the Power of Questions.

  • FIRST, we’ll explain the power, importance, and special relevancy of using questions in meetings by either the role of facilitator or meeting designer.
  • NEXT, check back for Part Two in March, when we’ll help you build powerful questions by providing examples, perspectives, and tips.


“Question everything,” Euripides originally said.

Many consultants have realized that their value add derives less from providing clients answers and more by getting clients to focus on the right questions, in an optimal sequence. Drawing from the behavioral sciences and our research across more than 4,000 alumni who are certified facilitators (see additional evidence-based factors provided in Meetings That Get Results [pg 13] ), note that . . .

“The servant leader does not have answers but rather takes command of the questions. Optimal questions are scripted and properly sequenced. Today, leadership is about asking precise and properly sequenced questions while always providing a safe environment for everyone’s response.”

The Power of Questions

Professional facilitators understand that asking precise and sequenced questions can unlock value in organizations by providing a catalyst. Questions provide the basis for learning, stimulate the exchange of ideas, and fuel innovation and performance improvement. According to Brooks and John, 

“Questions can mitigate business risk by uncovering unforeseen pitfalls and hazards . . . For some people, questioning comes easily. Their natural inquisitiveness, emotional intelligence, and ability to read people put the ideal question on the tip of their tongue. But most of us don’t ask enough questions, nor do we pose our inquiries in an optimal way.”

Most meeting time is invested in information exchange. The three most common meeting deliverables are:

  1. To decide
  2. To endorse
  3. To inform

Yet, “to inform” comprises 80 percent of the time invested in meetings. If the information addresses gaps or uncertainties, then the material being presented addresses or answers questions germane to the participants. By having answers to questions, we can presumably reduce the FUD factor caused by change initiatives (fear, uncertainty, and doubt).

After all, if nothing changes after sitting through a deck of slides, what good were they? Therefore, it helps in advance to know and articulate what questions are being addressed by the information exchange.

We can observe and know that for some people, questioning comes easily. Natural curiosity, emotional intelligence, and the ability to read people ease their ability to construct optimal questions. But many people don’t ask enough questions, nor do they pose their inquiries optimally.

A Guide on the Side, Not a Sage on the Stage

Questions and not edicts or mandates advance information exchange. Well-prepared and sequenced questions:

  • Build group cohesion
  • Create receptiveness to change and development
  • Direct teams to look for similarities—for example, apples and oranges are both fruit and similar in shape, size, and weight; they both bruise easily and rot as well
  • Help maintain focus within the scope
  • Increase learning and innovative thinking

Questions are most effective when presented with an inquiring, probing, and neutral perspective. Effective questions are open-ended discoveries and not opinions disguised as questions. Superb questions convert subjective perspective into objective criteria, making it easier to build consensus:

  • “What is the unit of measurement for _________?”
  • “What examples have you discovered?”
  • “What type of evidence can you provide?”

Ask More Questions

The Power of Questions -- Why Leading with Questions Improves Meetings

Ask More Questions

Asking a lot of questions unlocks learning and improves interpersonal bonding. Dale Carnegie recommends in How to Win Friends and Influence People to “Ask questions the other person will enjoy answering.” The Harvard research discovered that people simply don’t ask enough questions.

Most people don’t appreciate that asking a lot of questions unlocks improves interpersonal bonding. Presumably, if people understood how beneficial questions can be, “They would end far fewer sentences with a period—and more with a question mark.”

Our workshop curriculum has stressed for more than 15 years the importance of closing with a question such as “What should have I asked you that I did not ask?” Research by others indicates that questions of this nature, even during job interviews, “can signal competence, build rapport, and unlock key pieces of information about the position.”

Sequencing Questions

For optimal meeting design, we’ve stressed and continue to stress the importance of questions to cause meeting traction (i.e., progress or the opposite of distraction) and the equal importance of the sequencing of those questions. For example, when building a new home (residence), eventually you will need to answer “What color do you want the grout to be in the kids’ bathroom?” However, if that is the first question the architect poses, you will likely seek out a new architect. 

Sequence is critical. For sequencing, a leader might begin with the least-sensitive questions to build rapport, and then escalate slowly. As a general rule, we should begin the WHY (purpose) first, then open up the world of options (WHAT might be done to support the purpose), and close with HOW we convert the new understanding into Next Steps or an action plan.

For politically charged situations such as business process improvement, consider asking the tougher questions first. Asking tough questions first can make participants more willing to open up. Leslie found that people are more willing to reveal sensitive information when questions are asked in decreasing order of intrusiveness. 

When a question asker begins with a highly sensitive question—such as ‘Have you ever had a fantasy of doing something terrible to someone?’—subsequent questions, such as ‘Have you ever called in sick to work when you were perfectly healthy?’ feel, by comparison, less intrusive, and thus we tend to be more forthcoming.”

However, also note that when the intent is to strengthen relationships, opening with less sensitive questions and escalating slowly may be more effective.

Type and Tone of Questions

Brooks and John further mention type and tone as factors to consider. For question types, echoing our sentiments, they encourage the use of open-ended questions. Answers to close-ended questions hide the underlying rationale or reason and offer only three possible responses:

  • Yes
  • No
  • Maybe (conditional)

Tone generally refers to those non-narrative aspects that are difficult to generalize, such as non-verbal clues, vocal intonations, and eye movement. Nevertheless, do not underestimate the power of the “right tone of voice” when asking questions. Note how the following sentence changes simply by shifting the emphasis of one of the three words: I Love You. The first-person emphasis of ‘I love you’ generates a different response than stressing the second word, as in ‘I love you’ and an additional difference is generated when stressing the third word as in ‘I love you.’ To improve your tone, strive to avoid using the first person singular “I” and especially avoid consuming too much air time by droning on and on. 

In the words of Brooks and John, “Use energy, humor, and storytelling to engage your partners and avoid talking too much about yourself.” Additionally, participants are more forthcoming when casually asked questions, rather than using an official tone. In general, an overly formal tone will likely inhibit participants’ willingness to share information.

Favor Challenge Questions

“Because?” — my favorite ‘challenge’ question is used very frequently, and as soon as the speaker has uttered their last sound. The ‘Because’ (WHY) question stimulates the subject matter expert to provide some proof, evidence, or something objective, to support their argument. Remember, people typically speak about external observations that are indicative of symptoms and do not represent the true, underlying cause. Consensus is built around causes, not symptoms.

For example, someone may be exhibiting “red eye.” While we could jump to conclusions, we’d probably be wrong. Much easier to find out WHY? For this example, causes could be air quality, allergies, asthenia, etc., and those are only top-of-mind causes that begin with the letter ‘A.’

‘Challenge’ questions provide special power because they signal that you are listening, care, and want the group to explore further. Participants led by a facilitator who challenges frequently feel heard and respected. Additionally, ‘challenge’ questions do not require much preparation, and may become part of your natural style.

Leverage Group Dynamics

Willingness to participate and contribute can be contagious. Willingness to respond openly and innovatively affects other members of the group who tend to follow one another’s lead. Caution however because the opposite is true, as one participant withholds information, others may follow suit. Additionally, Alison’s research revealed that participants tend to like the people asking questions more than those who answer them.

Rhetorical Precision

Creativity and innovation rely on sharp questions that generate novel perspectives and new information. After all, people don’t change their minds, they simply make a new decision based on new information.

Detailed, sequenced questions foster richer interactions, strengthen rapport and trust, and lead to discovery. Brooks and John beautifully summarize the power of questions when they say:

“The wellspring of all questions is wonder and curiosity and a capacity for delight. We pose and respond to queries in the belief that the magic of a conversation will produce a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts . . . mindful of the transformative joy of asking and answering questions.”

In Summary

While we are interested in WHAT participants think, consensus is built around WHY they think that way, and unanimity occurs when your questions and challenges result in objective proof or evidence. Consider the following sequence that demonstrates increasing robustness, by questioning:

  1. What they know or believe to be true—good
  2. Why they believe something to be true—better
  3. Proof for their belief or claim—best

(And don’t forget to avoid DUMB questions—[Dull, Ubiquitous, Myopic, and Broad], by preparing yourself with scripting and rhetorical precision!)

______

Don’t ruin your career by hosting bad meetings. Sign up for a workshop or send this to someone who should. MGRUSH workshops focus on meeting design and practice. Each person practices tools, methods, and activities daily during the week. Therefore, while some call this immersion, we call it the road to building high-value facilitation skills.

Our workshops also provide a superb way to earn up to 40 SEUs from the Scrum Alliance, 40 CDUs from IIBA, 40 Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) based on Federal Acquisition Certification Continuous Professional Learning Requirements using Training and Education activities, 40 Professional Development Units (PDUs) from SAVE International, as well as 4.0 CEUs for other professions. (See workshop and Reference Manual descriptions for details.)

Want a free 10-minute break timer? Sign up for our once-monthly newsletter HERE and receive a free timer along with four other of our favorite facilitation tools.

Go to the Facilitation Training Store to access proven, in-house resources, including fully annotated agendas, break timers, and templates. Finally, take a few seconds to buy us a cup of coffee and please SHARE with others.

In conclusion, we dare you to embrace the will, wisdom, and activities that amplify a facilitative leader. #facilitationtraining #MEETING DESIGN

______

With Bookmarks no longer a feature in WordPress, we need to append the following for your benefit and reference

Facilitating Meaningful Connections — Lessons from “Atlas of the Heart”

Facilitating Meaningful Connections — Lessons from “Atlas of the Heart”

by | Jan 5, 2023 | Communication Skills, Facilitation Skills, Leadership Skills, Managing Conflict

Dr. Brené Brown’s book on emotions, “Atlas of the Heart” (Mapping Meaningful Connections and the Language of Human Experience), was our most flagged book of 2022. Undoubtedly, here’s why…

And why you, as a leader and facilitator, should read it.
Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience, by Brené Brown

Atlas of the Heart builds around the fact that the average American can only identify three emotions: mad, sad, and glad. Since her team studied more than seventy emotions, Brené Brown makes it clear that understanding emotive states is as important as knowing physically where you are or where you’re going. Significantly, people everywhere, are seeking meaningful connections.

Indeed, poor or inaccurate vocabulary (rhetorical precision) challenges most people to understand or explain what they are feeling. Similarly, when meeting and workshop participants are unable to express how they feel, deliverables and accountability for those deliverables are seriously jeopardized.

For example, a majority of us would have a tough time explaining the difference between despair and grief, or calm and tranquility, but “Atlas” makes the differences clear and easy to understand. Therefore, here is an alpha-sorted table of the emotions that “Atlas” explores:

Admiration Defensiveness Happiness Pride
Amusement Dehumanization Hate Regret
Anger Despair Heartbreak Relief
Anguish Disappointment Hopelessness Resentment
Anxiety Disconnection Hubris Resignation
Avoidance Discouragement Humiliation Reverence
Awe Disgust Humility Sadness
Belonging Dread Hurt Sarcasm
Betrayal Embarrassment Insecurity Schadenfreude
Bittersweetness Empathy Interest Self-compassion
Boredom Envy Invisibility Self-righteousness
Boundaries Excitement Irony Self-trust
Calm Expectations Jealousy Shame
Cognitive Dissonance Fear Joy Stress
Comparative Suffering Fitting In Loneliness Surprise
Comparison Flooding Love Sympathy
Compassion Foreboding Joy Lovelessness Tranquility
Confusion Freudenfreude Nostalgia Trust
Connection Frustration Overwhelm Vulnerability
Contempt Gratitude Paradox Wonder
Contentment Grief Perfectionism Worry
Curiosity Guilt Pity

Why You Should Care About Meaningful Connections

Whereas effective meetings rely on clear expression, “Atlas” opens with a quotation from Rumi indicating the importance of language to express oneself.

Heart is sea,
language is shore.
Whatever sea includes,
will hit the shore.

While I encourage you to add this book to your library, both as a reference and as an excellent ‘loaner,’ here are eleven “facilitator’s highlights.” In particular, she stresses references or definitions indicating the vital role that language provides to advance consensual understanding by sharing our emotions. Therefore, we all know that clarity and sharing are significant keystones of effective meetings and workshops.

Language and Facilitating Meaningful Connections

Brené Brown begins by touting the importance of language as the primary portal to meaning—allowing connections, learning, and increased awareness. Thus, having access to the right words (read: rhetorical precision) “opens up universes.” Furthermore, each of us contains a unique vocabulary that helps explain why no one is as smart as everyone.

“Without accurate language, we struggle to get the help we need, we don’t always regulate or manage our emotions and experiences in a way that allows us to move through them productively . . . Language shows us that naming an experience doesn’t give the experience more power, it gives us the power of understanding and meaning.”

Painting DONE

While the Agile mindset calls it DONE, business consultants call it a “deliverable.” Steven Covey concurs with his expression, “Start with the end in mind.” Likewise, Brené Brown asks her research staff and team to “paint done.” Markedly, she brings the “right to left” thinking component of our curriculum to life by describing the importance of “painting done.” Also, her method requires visual details as someone is walking her through the expectations of what the completed task will look like, when it will be done, how it will be used, the overall context, and the consequences of not doing it.

Highlighted Emotions When Facilitating Meaningful Connections

Frequently observed in meetings and workshops, the following emotional states have been selected for your review and consideration. Assuredly, “removing distractions” remains the primary rule for all facilitators. However, the following emotions cause noise and distraction, working against the traction you seed to develop among your meeting and workshop participants. Additionally, the highlighted emotions are alpha-sorted so as not to place a stronger emphasis on one over others.

Anger

Anger might not be an emotion. Rather, it is a reflection (symptom) or intensification of many potential emotional causes. Many times, people feel better simply by sharing and talking and getting things “off of their chest.” Use Brené Brown’s book when you want a clearer understanding of the following causes of anger:

  • Anxiety
  • Confusion
  • Depression
  • Fear
  • Frustration
  • Grief
  • Guilt
  • Helplessness
  • Humiliation
  • Hurt
  • Isolation
  • Jealousy
  • Loneliness
  • Outrage at injustice
  • Overwhelming stress
  • Rejection
  • Sadness
  • Shame

Belonging vs. Fitting In

Like earlier Best Practices articles and arguments about the crucial difference between being “nice” and being “kind.” Here are explanations discovered by other experts based on her extensive research:

  • Belonging is being somewhere where you want to be, and they want you.
  • Fitting in is being somewhere where you want to be, but they don’t care one way or the other.

 

  • Belonging is being accepted for you 🙂
  • Fitting in is being accepted for being like everyone else.

 

  • “If I get to be me, I belong. If I must be like YOU, I fit in.”

Confusion

When confusion persists, it’s clearly one of the most valuable times to benefit from a professional facilitator. Confusion is vital to learning, it motivates and triggers problem-solving. When confused, we typically engage in more careful deliberation. Brené Brown refers to a Fast Company article by Mary Slaughter and David Rock with the NeuroLeadership Institute who claim that to be effective, learning needs to be effortful. Liken it to a muscle ‘burn’ when the muscle is being strengthened. The brain needs to feel some discomfort for deep learning.

Connection (a synonym for love)

Brené Brown defines ‘love’ as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship. We’re a social species (see Hurari’s “Sapiens”) and that’s why meaningful connections matter.

She stresses that connection is why shame can be so painful and debilitating. We’re wired to be connected, and shame weakens our connections. Note the importance of feeling connected based on her research:

  • Living with air pollution increases the odds of dying by five percent.
  • Living with obesity—twenty percent.
  • Loneliness—45 percent.

Love is defined as “the preoccupying and strong desire for further connection, the powerful bonds people hold with a select few and the intimacy that grows between them, the commitment to loyalty and faithfulness.” Love forms the emotional context from which to strengthen relationships. Strong relationships are an integral part of all high-performance teams.

Google’s research proved that the one characteristic among high-performance teams is the tendency to distribute airtime equally among all participants (i.e., how much time each person talks).

Contempt

Contempt says “I’m better than you. And you are lesser than me.” Today, in the USA, Democrats and Republicans think that each side is driven by benevolence while the other side is evil and motivated by hatred; therefore, an enemy with whom one cannot negotiate or compromise. Identical to the situation among diverse cultures and religions in the Middle East.

According to Arthur Brooks, we don’t need to disagree less, but we need to learn how to disagree better—without contempt and cruelty. We need to replace negative communication patterns with respect and appreciation. A talented facilitator will use ‘challenge’ and ‘discovery’ to surface the driving reasons or rationale behind contempt.

Empathy

Empathy is a tool of compassion, “an emotional skill that allows us to understand what someone is experiencing and to reflect that understanding. Empathy improves interpersonal decision-making because it “facilitates ethical decision-making and moral judgments.” It has been proven to enhance well-being, strengthen relational bonds, and allow people to improve how others see them.

“Empathy is a tool of compassion. We can respond empathically if we are willing to be present to someone’s pain. If we’re not willing to do that, it’s not real empathy.”

Brené Brown focuses on data that surfaces from her research when sourcing Theresa Wiseman’s attributes of empathy:

  1. Staying out of judgment: Just listen, don’t apply value.
  2. Recognizing emotions: How can I touch within myself something that helps me identify and connect with what the other person might be feeling?
  3. Communicating our understanding and confirming its accuracy.
  4. Perspective taking: What does that concept mean for you? What is that experience like for you?
  5. Practicing mindfulness (see Kristin Neff).

You may also take a self-compassion inventory at www.self-compassion.org.

Humility

Facilitators should remain humble and exude humility. Humility is not downplaying yourself or your accomplishments. That describes modesty. Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less often.

Joy

The opposite of joy is not sadness, but fear. And FEAR is known to be an acronym for “F#@! everything and run.” FEAR implies a FUD factor that professional facilitators must eliminate or diminish; namely Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt.

Sadness

According to Brené Brown, one of the causes of “human beings engaging in all kinds of cognitive gymnastics aimed at justifying their behavior,” is sadness. Although many have proven the benefits of happiness, sadness provides benefits as well, according to Joseph Gorgas from Australia.

“Sad people are less prone to judgmental errors, are more resistant to eye-witness distortions, are sometimes more motivated, and are more sensitive to social norms. They can act with more generosity too.”

Even Daniel Kahneman would agree, that a group of sad participants will outperform a group of over-confident participants. Think about it, if we are not sad about something, then why have a meeting?

Surprise

Here we find the shortest-duration emotion. Brené Brown describes ‘surprise’ as a bridge between cognition and emotion, rarely lasting more than a few seconds. Although other experts claim a strong relationship between surprise and unexpectedness, she claims surprise is an emotion, but unexpectedness is a cognitive reaction. To improve our understanding of the differences, she references Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Wharton professor Adam Grant.

Tranquility

Seek contentment, not tranquility. Here is the difference between being content and feeling tranquil. With contentment, we often have the sense of having completed something. With tranquility, we relish the feeling of doing nothing.

Summary

Professional facilitators do not ignore emotions, they leverage them. Our goal is not to eliminate participant feelings but to harness them in a way that develops a deliverable that everyone promises to accept and support.

______

Don’t ruin your career by hosting bad meetings. Sign up for a workshop or send this to someone who should. MGRUSH workshops focus on meeting design and practice. Each person practices tools, methods, and activities daily during the week. Therefore, while some call this immersion, we call it the road to building high-value facilitation skills.

Our workshops also provide a superb way to earn up to 40 SEUs from the Scrum Alliance, 40 CDUs from IIBA, 40 Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) based on Federal Acquisition Certification Continuous Professional Learning Requirements using Training and Education activities, 40 Professional Development Units (PDUs) from SAVE International, as well as 4.0 CEUs for other professions. (See workshop and Reference Manual descriptions for details.)

Want a free 10-minute break timer? Sign up for our once-monthly newsletter HERE and receive a free timer along with four other of our favorite facilitation tools.

Go to the Facilitation Training Store to access proven, in-house resources, including fully annotated agendas, break timers, and templates. Finally, take a few seconds to buy us a cup of coffee and please SHARE with others.

In conclusion, we dare you to embrace the will, wisdom, and activities that amplify a facilitative leader. #facilitationtraining #MEETING DESIGN

______

With Bookmarks no longer a feature in WordPress, we need to append the following for your benefit and reference

How to Build Trust As a Meeting Facilitator

How to Build Trust As a Meeting Facilitator

by | May 3, 2022 | Communication Skills, Leadership Skills, Meeting Structure

Whether you’re facilitating a complex meeting or a daily standup, if your meeting participants don’t trust you (or your methods), they will not trust the meeting results.

Robin Dreeke, of People Formula, led the FBI’s Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program. Tips in his book[1], “It’s Not All About Me: The Top Ten Techniques for Building Quick Rapport with Anyone” speak loud and clear to professional facilitators. Below, we’ll examine a few of his recommended techniques for building trust. 

How to Build Trust As a Meeting Facilitator

Know What Done Looks Like

“The first step in the process of developing great rapport and having great conversations is letting the other person know that there is an end in sight, and it is really close.”

Whether you come from an Agile mindset or waterfall background, leadership begins with a line of site. You must know where you are going. When you don’t, everyone senses that you are groping and lost. Trust begins with the willingness to follow a leader who knows where they are going.

Become Non-verbally Appealing

“When you walk into a room with a bunch of strangers, are you naturally drawn to those who look angry and upset or those with smiles and laughing? Smiling is the number one nonverbal technique you should utilize to look more accommodating.”

Trust should not be assumed, but it can be earned. Your non-verbal and para-verbal signaling is more important than word choice if you want to build trust. You can’t say one thing but display something else. In addition to human connection methods such as empathy, seeking to understand, and avoiding judgments, consider the following:

    • Tilt your head a bit to the side so you don’t run the risk of looking straight down on people.
    • Stand at an angle or a bit to the side and avoid being ‘front and center’ too much. You want to give people visual access to the front and center, whether it’s an easel, screen, or whiteboard. We call this area W.I.P. or the work-in-progress area. When that work is finished, move it to the side for the next content that belongs front and center, not you.
    • And of course, smile (sincerely).

Slower Rate of Speech

Research has shown that rapidly speaking in certain situations can increase credibility and even make you sound more intelligent. The goal, however, when meeting new people is to make them feel comfortable. To accomplish this we are better off speaking slower than normal and pausing at times to give people space to absorb what we are saying.

Educators understand Cognitive Load Theory suggesting that any learning experience has three components: 1. Intrinsic load, 2. Germane load, and 3. Extraneous load. Of course, if I say much more on this topic, you will rightfully accuse me of causing cognitive overload. Therefore, if you want more on this topic, I recommend “Effective Education Videos” (I know, ironic eh — an article on videos).

Put on Your Sweater (Hide Rank)

Putting your ego aside and focusing solely on the wants, needs, and opinions of people around you isn’t always easy. But being non-judgmental builds trust.

According to Robin Dreeke, “People who allow others to continue talking without taking their own turn are generally regarded as the best conversationalists.”How to Build Trust

Facilitate each topic as a learning opportunity. Seek out the stories of others. Remind yourself that good things happen when we prioritize our two ears over our ego.

Listening Builds Trust

Listening skills build trust quickly, so learn to put your own agenda on hold. We all have agendas. The key to building trust with people, however, is to put our own wants, needs, dreams, and opinions on hold to better learn about the person we are speaking with. After all, the most valuable people take the time to understand what other people value.

As Robin Dreeke says — “When the focus is on the other person and we’re not anxious to tell our own story, we also tend to remember the details. We’re mindful.”

Thoughtfulness

Thoughtfulness doesn’t have to be a big thing. Little gestures like offering a participant who is coughing a cup of water, a mint, a tissue, or even hand sanitizer can go a long way in building trust and rapport.

Questioning

“Once the individual being targeted supplies more words and thoughts, a great (facilitator) will utilize the content given and continue to ask open-ended questions about the same content.” 

Focus Builds Trust

According to Robin Dreeke, one of the most reliable trust-builders is our “focus.” After all, as human beings, we frequently prefer different things. One thing we have in common is that we love to know that our voice is being heard and we are truly seen.

Below are five Best Practices articles that reinforce the basis of trust and support the topics we spoke of above.

Remember, nobody is smarter than everybody.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

[1] Adapted from “According to an FBI Behavior Expert, These 10 Techniques Quickly Build Trust with Anyone, by Michael Thompson, Personal Growth, Medium

______

Don’t ruin your career by hosting bad meetings. Sign up for a workshop or send this to someone who should. MGRUSH workshops focus on meeting design and practice. Each person practices tools, methods, and activities daily during the week. Therefore, while some call this immersion, we call it the road to building high-value facilitation skills.

Our workshops also provide a superb way to earn up to 40 SEUs from the Scrum Alliance, 40 CDUs from IIBA, 40 Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) based on Federal Acquisition Certification Continuous Professional Learning Requirements using Training and Education activities, 40 Professional Development Units (PDUs) from SAVE International, as well as 4.0 CEUs for other professions. (See workshop and Reference Manual descriptions for details.)

Want a free 10-minute break timer? Sign up for our once-monthly newsletter HERE and receive a free timer along with four other of our favorite facilitation tools.

Go to the Facilitation Training Store to access proven, in-house resources, including fully annotated agendas, break timers, and templates. Finally, take a few seconds to buy us a cup of coffee and please SHARE with others.

In conclusion, we dare you to embrace the will, wisdom, and activities that amplify a facilitative leader. #facilitationtraining #MEETING DESIGN

______

With Bookmarks no longer a feature in WordPress, we need to append the following for your benefit and reference

Executive Presence Strengthens Your Meeting Facilitation Skills

Executive Presence Strengthens Your Meeting Facilitation Skills

by | Apr 7, 2022 | Communication Skills, Facilitation Skills, Leadership Skills, Meeting Support

In “Executive Presence: The Missing Link Between Merit and Success,” Sylvia Ann Hewlett affirms that executive presence is “an amalgam of qualities that telegraphs that you are in charge or deserve to be.”

Executive PresenceFortunately, you don’t need to be born with executive presence. Although, you can find many of the same traits among effective facilitators—traits you can learn and strengthen.

Therefore, the following article explains executive presence and then provides five tips on how to improve your executive presence.

Executive Presence and Facilitation

Dr. Amy Cuddy’s research indicates that executive presence can be calculated. Indeed, her formula suggests that executive presence is a function of Credibility PLUS Ease DIVIDED BY Ego. Significantly, note in the equation below, a very remarkable way to increase executive presence is to reduce the ego. Chiefly, for facilitators and most leaders, that means avoiding the first person singular, “I” or “me.”

Executive Presence

Defined: Executive Presence

In our complex, fast-paced world, it is vital to be noticed, heard, and trusted. Executive presence is the ability to radiate a sense of poise, confidence, decisiveness, and dignity. Similarly, executive presence derives from being authentic, building confidence in others, and inspiring others to take meaningful action. Therefore, Executive presence represents a persona that lets everyone around the person know that they are in charge, confident, and capable of leading others. Hewlett claims that executive presence develops from combining three factors:

  • Gravitas (how you act)
  • Communication (how you speak)
  • Appearance (how you look)

When combined, they can make leaders and facilitators the galvanizing force of an organization. Subsequently, employees demonstrating these executive presence skills are often “fast-tracked” or found in leadership positions.

The Characteristics of Executive Presence

When you think of leaders you genuinely admire, most likely they exhibit traits and talents, such as…

  • A talent for “painting” a clear vision
  • Speaking in such a way that naturally attracts people
  • Teaching others how to think: how to plan, how to prioritize, and how to solve problems
  • They tell great stories
  • They work calmly in high-stress situations

Each of the three sources found in the footnotes has its description of characteristics. Consequently, we’ll show you all of them in the following table and then combine their definitions, as appropriate.

The Characteristics of Executive Presence

Nine Dimensions Eight Traits Eleven Factors (Cuddy)
Personal Character Credibility
   • Passion Charisma    • Foundational: integrity, expertise, preparation
   • Poise Command    • Inflection patterns
   • Self-confidence Composure    • Speed of speech or using pauses
Communicative Conciseness    • Vocal power and resonance
   • Candor – communicative Confidence    • Qualifiers, fillers, or “diminishers”
   • Clarity – communicative Connection    • Props or fidgets
   • Openness – communicative Credibility Ease
Relational    • Foundational: diet, sleep, exercise
   • Thoughtfulness    • Stability: grace under fire
   • Sincerity    • Congruence: external or internal
   • Warmth    • Connection with others
   • Authenticity: the ease of self-assurance

Dimensions of Executive Presence

The following, while not exhaustive, provides ample explanation for understanding the dimensions, traits, or factors of executive presence.

Candor or Credibility

Credibility refers to the language and resources that you use when providing information or direction. It also includes the methods by which you gather information and credit sources. People listen to an executive because of their powerful communication methods and because they believe they’re qualified to present the information. Being interested in truth and honesty, a willingness to accept and engage the organization’s environment as it is, not as you would like it to be.

Clarity or Conciseness

If you can’t articulate it clearly, then you are not ready to communicate it to others. Conciseness includes the ability to present all necessary details without overwhelming others. When possible, create your story and tell it in an intuitively clear and compelling way.

Openness or Character

Character refers to inner traits and values. Those with executive presence often have high emotional intelligence, helping them connect with the organization at all levels. Character also includes ethics and morals and how they influence your work. The willingness to remain neutral and consider other points of view without prejudging them.

Passion or Command

You convince others of your commitment to what you are saying and doing through expression, motivation, drive, and engagement. Your facial expression must match your message when your voice modulates pitch, volume, and pace. Ensure you only speak when making eye contact and manage your eye focus appropriately when communicating with more than one person.

Poise or Composure

An ability to control your emotions, recognize emotions in others and manage your response to them. Composure comprises self-awareness and the ability to present yourself in a disciplined yet engaging manner. A look of sophistication and unflappability that creates the impression you are comfortable in your surroundings and able to handle adversity.

Self-Confidence

Communicate confidence both in what you say and how you say it. Look the part. Choose your wardrobe and accessories carefully. There are many factors to confidence, including nonverbal communication skills and consistency among mannerisms when communicating with team members. An air of optimism and assurance that convinces others you have the required strength, resources, and resolve to initiate and to lead.

Sincerity or Credibility

Filler language such as “um,” “uh,” and “so” immediately detract from executive presence. As do minimizers like “just,” “sort of,” and “this may not be a good idea but…” When someone with a strong executive presence speaks, there is no doubt about the conviction behind their words and the thoughts driving them.

Thoughtfulness or Connection

Connection refers to the interpersonal skills you use to develop professional relationships and encourage productivity. Skills that foster teamwork and include the ability to adapt to new work styles while promoting effective communication.

Warmth or Charisma 

You develop warmth through active listening skills. The people you are communicating with need to know your focus is on them. They matter to you. Charisma represents an ability to engage others and encourage them to trust and rely on you. It relies on powerful communication skills, both verbal and nonverbal. Charisma includes the ability to narrow focus to a single situation and how it affects the goals of the organization. It encourages others to interact with you because you have become accessible to others, physically and emotionally.

The contributing factors above have little to do with the content. Instead, they focus on how you package content, question, or challenge it, and explain it through a story. A picture is worth a thousand words, a metaphor is worth a thousand pictures, and a story is worth a thousand metaphors.

FIVE TIPS FOR EXPERT FACILITATION

  1. Communicate to Understand and Connect — Reflect the ‘Why’ behind the ‘What.’

Talking is only one part of the communication process. Decision-makers above you will take more notice of your listening skills. Usually, there is more than one right answer, and a good listener develops insight as to the conditions to support various outcomes. Executive presence demands that you control your emotions, sense emotions in others, and facilitate their understanding. Then manage their response. Since they need to own the answer, be open to feedback, engage in interactive communication, and with active listening, reflect the ‘WHY’ behind the ‘WHAT.’

  1. Display Quiet Confidence with a Sense of Light-heartedness — It’s NOT thinking less about yourself, it’s thinking about yourself less often.

Be authentically “in the moment.” Welcome witticisms from others. Develop the ability to laugh at yourself. Light-heartedness is the universal language of leadership and confidence. Capturing your audience is not solely about charisma or extroversion. To some, charisma can even reflect a superficial, non-trustworthy characteristic. True confidence comes with undertones of humility. You don’t have to have the answer. You need a method or procedure to lead. It’s NOT thinking less about yourself, it’s thinking about yourself less often.

  1. Emanate Conviction and Integrity — When you are honest about their flaws, you become more relatable and trustworthy.

Believe in what you’re saying. Stand, gesture, and move with energy and intention. Avoid body language that says, “I’m nervous” such as a furrowed brow. People trust those who do what they say they will do. They respect others who stand by their convictions and whose values cannot be shaken because they are deeply committed to doing the right thing for the right reason. People are drawn to those with executive presence because they are genuine. When you are honest about their flaws, you become more relatable and trustworthy.

  1. Stress ‘WHY’ Before ‘WHAT’ —  If the ‘WHY’ is critically important to them, people become self-inspired.

Strategic thinking reflects how all the pieces in an organization are interdependent. Lead others with strategic questions. Focus on why and not who, what, or how. People with executive presence make it a practice to listen, observe, collect, and assess information. When you start your communication with a strong ‘WHY,’ you engage your participants based on their wallet share. If that ‘WHY’ is important to everyone, you should come across as passionate. If the ‘WHY’ is critically important to them, they become self-inspired.

  1. Summarize and Apply Powerful Pauses — Take a breath, make eye contact, and be comfortable with the silence.

Use questions to drive consensual understanding. Then give their input a moment to ‘sink in’ before moving on. Take a breath, make eye contact, and be comfortable with the silence. Silence positions you as thoughtful and measured. Then vary your voice with your volume, pacing, pitch, inflection, pausing, and tone to stress inflection points. A lower, rather than higher, pitch connotes authority and expertise. Speaking too quickly reveals nervousness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While there are hundreds of articles on the topic and the importance of executive presence, here are a few either referenced above or that we found helpful:

  1. https://www.harperbusiness.com/book/9780062246899/Executive-Presence-Sylvia-Ann-Hewlett/
  2. https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_may_shape_who_you_are
  3. https://www.selfleadership.com/blog/executive-presence-definition-strategy
  4. https://www.executivepresence.com/what-is-executive-presence
  5. https://www.inscapeconsulting.com/
  6. https://www.corporateclassinc.com/what-is-executive-presence-training/
  7. https://booherresearch.com/top-10-tips-to-increase-your-executive-presence-and-expand-your-influence/
  8. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/executive-presence

______

Don’t ruin your career by hosting bad meetings. Sign up for a workshop or send this to someone who should. MGRUSH workshops focus on meeting design and practice. Each person practices tools, methods, and activities daily during the week. Therefore, while some call this immersion, we call it the road to building high-value facilitation skills.

Our workshops also provide a superb way to earn up to 40 SEUs from the Scrum Alliance, 40 CDUs from IIBA, 40 Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) based on Federal Acquisition Certification Continuous Professional Learning Requirements using Training and Education activities, 40 Professional Development Units (PDUs) from SAVE International, as well as 4.0 CEUs for other professions. (See workshop and Reference Manual descriptions for details.)

Want a free 10-minute break timer? Sign up for our once-monthly newsletter HERE and receive a free timer along with four other of our favorite facilitation tools.

Go to the Facilitation Training Store to access proven, in-house resources, including fully annotated agendas, break timers, and templates. Finally, take a few seconds to buy us a cup of coffee and please SHARE with others.

In conclusion, we dare you to embrace the will, wisdom, and activities that amplify a facilitative leader. #facilitationtraining #MEETING DESIGN

______

With Bookmarks no longer a feature in WordPress, we need to append the following for your benefit and reference

Sourcing Innovative Ideas and Managing New Product Concepts (3 of 3)

Sourcing Innovative Ideas and Managing New Product Concepts (3 of 3)

by | Mar 3, 2022 | Analysis Methods, Meeting Structure, Problem Solving

The purpose of this article is to help you manage and facilitate the transformation of the abstract (sourcing innovative ideas) into the concrete (managing new product concepts).

We hope you beg, borrow, steal, and modify heavily from our technique called Product Concept Management (PCM or Catalyst). Whereas this is the third of three connecting articles, remember to see (1 of 3) and (2 of 3).

Catalyst describes our method for clarifying the “fuzzy front-end” in product development. Meanwhile, the “fuzzy front-end” represents the time and space between a thought (e.g., problem or solution) and the decision to act by first converting the thought into a concrete concept. For your questions or suggestions, please contact us at +01 (630) 954-5880 or by email at info@mgrushfacilitation.com.

Sourcing Innovative Ideas and Managing New Product Concepts

Sourcing Ideas

MANAGING CONCEPTS DEPENDS ON QUALIFYING INNOVATIVE IDEAS

Managing innovative ideas relies on one primary task: qualifying innovative ideas As explained in our last article Converting Raw Product Ideas into Polished Product Concepts (2 of 3), managing concepts means improving the certainty of ideas. We do this by adding information to the description of the idea and the pains it cures. Now we more fully explain the skills supporting four primary activities to QUALIFY innovative ideas:

Sourcing Innovative Ideas and Managing New Product Concepts

SKILLS REQUIRED

The qualifying activity requires a broad set of skills to interpret product descriptions, envision them being applied in the market, comprehend market structure (distribution, competition, customer segments), and reasonably assess new product idea revenues and profit-generating potential. Since no one person may have the required talents or time to do everything, Catalyst workshops provide a wonderful opportunity for qualifying innovative ideas.

The qualifier role, fulfilled by a single individual or a team, also identifies resources that are needed to complete the idea qualification. Resources may include production and technical experts, engineers, scientists, economists, sales managers, lobbyists, regulation experts, and experts in customers and competitors.

Summary of Qualifying Skills

Qualifying Skills

Qualifying Skills

Reminder about Sourcing Innovative Ideas and Managing Concepts

A fully qualified and complex product concept exceeds one descriptive sentence. The first QUALIFYING task reviews the idea for a minimal description, typically provided by the idea Author. To us, a comprehensive concept might also answer dozens of questions, such as:

A Raw Product Idea Transformed into a Manageable Product Concept with a Checklist of Issues

Sourcing Innovative Ideas and Managing New Product Concepts

Technical/Physical Description

Describe the “need” (or “pain”) as a problem, want, or “hankering.” ABCs . . .

A. Ambition      Size the opportunity in currency and units/volume

B. Benefits       What are the benefits of the product to the buyer/customer? (Economic, emotional, . . .)

C. Choices       What are the customer’s/user’s other options to solve the problem, satisfy the need or want, or achieve the improvement? Why? When, where, and how was the idea conceived?

Qualification Checklist

QUALIFYING enhances the character of a new product idea, enabling assessment and further development by adding information to the description of the idea. QUALIFYING also evaluates the idea for commercial potential and technical feasibility. A comprehensive Product Concept (qualified idea) resembles a business case.

SOURCING INNOVATIVE IDEAS

SOURCING innovative ideas requires one primary activity: discovering innovative ideas, and involves several supporting activities. The other activities support retrieval, including storing ideas and providing coaching, feedback, and incentives to idea authors. DISCOVERING innovative ideas depends on structuring a network of sources that feed raw or fragmented product ideas to our PCM technique.

MODES OF DISCOVERY

Continuous (Steady-State) Discovery

We advocate the design of a steady-state discovery apparatus to provide a continuous flow of ideas into Catalyst.

Continuous (Steady-State) Discovery

Based on understanding portfolio priorities, targeted markets, and technology priorities, the organization should structure information gathering, invention, and analysis activities to align with their future direction and constraints (available resources). Preferred sources of information might include:

  • Channel members
  • Competitors
  • Customers
  • Prospective customers
  • Suppliers

Other sources include:

  • Analogous markets (surrogate channels and suppliers)
  • Experts in government and regulatory affairs
  • Experts in specific technical and commercial subjects

Discrete (Singular) Discovery

Sometimes the need develops to seek innovative ideas through singular activities. Singular discoveries do not depend on regular, continuous activities. Discrete activities are similar to steady-state activities but differ in intensity, resource commitment, method, and results. Sources of information in discrete discovery activities are identical to the steady-state mode listed above.

DESIGN OF CONTINUOUS (STEADY-STATE) DISCOVERY

The principal characteristic of continuous DISCOVERY is the identification, training, equipping, and continual communication of resources involved in information gathering, analysis, and ideation.

Building The Network

Designing steady-state DISCOVERY requires identifying, prioritizing, and selecting network sources that can be accessed continuously. The option of actively seeking innovative ideas through intensive problem discovery, solution discovery, and other creative approaches already exists in most organizations – by way of existing customer-facing and other technically oriented resources.

DESIGN OF CONTINUOUS (STEADY-STATE) DISCOVERY

We recommend a role-based network. Primary advantages when constructing a network include:

  • Leverages existing reporting and support structures (such as IT for global access; contact between author and development, etc.).
  • Leverages resources that are likely most qualified to establish communications between authors and their idea source (e.g., between a salesperson and customer).
  • Uses existing resources, logistically positioned to minimize cost and responsiveness to local situations (improves overall performance, responsiveness, and consistency of contact between author and source).

PCM Leverages the Existing Network of Potential Authors and Sources

Summary of Networked Author/Source Characteristics

Technical resources, such as product and manufacturing engineering, laboratory scientists, installers, and field service technicians are valuable resources with “ears” and “eyes” tuned to problem DISCOVERY and pain identification. Customer-facing resources such as sales, marketing, distributors, and executives are valuable resources to listen for market opportunities.

Catalyst Characteristics

Catalyst Characteristics

Value Chain Approach

Use the value-chain perspective when constructing a PCM SOURCING network. Using the value chain as a guide, PCM identifies participants who can provide innovative ideas. The network includes target market segments from market strategies and focuses on products that harmonize with the product portfolio strategy.

Value Chain

Catalyst Value Chain

Summary of Continuous Discovery Sources and Activities

DESIGN OF DISCRETE (SINGLE-EVENT) DISCOVERY

Discrete discovery mode provides a one-time selection of a method, participants, and target for the information gathering, analysis, or invention activity.  Managers or team leaders organize single-event discovery opportunities. We recommend the use of the Problem-Solution Matrix (described below), to identify appropriate methods and tools.

DESIGN OF DISCRETE (SINGLE-EVENT) DISCOVERY

Problem-Solution Matrix Summary

Problem-Solution Matrix

Problem-Solution Matrix

We’ve cut a lot of this series (three connecting articles) to keep each article to 2,000 words. Therefore, let us know where we over-cut or if you need further clarification and we promise to reply promptly.

______

Don’t ruin your career by hosting bad meetings. Sign up for a workshop or send this to someone who should. MGRUSH workshops focus on meeting design and practice. Each person practices tools, methods, and activities daily during the week. Therefore, while some call this immersion, we call it the road to building high-value facilitation skills.

Our workshops also provide a superb way to earn up to 40 SEUs from the Scrum Alliance, 40 CDUs from IIBA, 40 Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) based on Federal Acquisition Certification Continuous Professional Learning Requirements using Training and Education activities, 40 Professional Development Units (PDUs) from SAVE International, as well as 4.0 CEUs for other professions. (See workshop and Reference Manual descriptions for details.)

Want a free 10-minute break timer? Sign up for our once-monthly newsletter HERE and receive a free timer along with four other of our favorite facilitation tools.

Go to the Facilitation Training Store to access proven, in-house resources, including fully annotated agendas, break timers, and templates. Finally, take a few seconds to buy us a cup of coffee and please SHARE with others.

In conclusion, we dare you to embrace the will, wisdom, and activities that amplify a facilitative leader. #facilitationtraining #MEETING DESIGN

______

With Bookmarks no longer a feature in WordPress, we need to append the following for your benefit and reference