A smart question for leaders will be invaluable during those moments when you must reshape your organization or ask employees to take on new challenges. The question is not very long, easy to ask, and comes from my background in TV news.
As I grew as a reporter, I realized this question was pure gold. I would almost always ask it at the end of an interview. That question was, “Anything else?”
This question helped me as a reporter in two ways:
- It allowed the interview subject the chance to restate a key point, often improving its clarity. Very often, that was the soundbite that ended up in the story.
- It gave the person the chance to bring up a different aspect of the story, I might not have asked about. As a reporter, every day can be a crash course in a new subject and you might be missing what appeared to be a minor aspect of a story that is actually very important.
Very often the interview subject has this information in mind but wouldn’t share it unless I provided that opportunity.
According to the survey from the National Business Research Institute, communication is the top thing employees dislike about their employers. In your world, while you may not be a news reporter, embrace this smart question for leaders.
Uncover Problems
You may be starting a new program or process and your employees may see problems ahead that you never considered. Will they, unprompted, share their concerns?
Some will but most won’t, unless you invite them to do so. Ask, “Anything else?”
Overcome Virtual Limitations
When you’re not in the same room with employees, you may not pick up on body language that suggests trouble ahead. Ask, “Anything else?” to uncover concerns.
As with my interview subjects, your team may have issues that concern them but they won’t bring them up without prompting.
Invest Time in Listening
If you ask a question like, “Anything else?” then you need to make the time to listen to the response. You can’t expect a good answer if this is a passing in the hall type conversation.
Appreciate the Response
If an employee gives you some insight, make sure you thank them for their contribution. While the information may not be that valuable or there’s nothing that can be done to improve the situation, it’s still smart to show appreciation.
There will likely be a next time, when a smart question for leaders will provide priceless insight.
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