I attended a great presentation on the topic of questions and communications provided by our EAP Partner, Impact Solutions and Kerry Tobin and I thought I would share some interesting portions. The definitions came first; to make common and to share is to communicate. To seek or inquiry is to question. As HR professionals, we are expected to do both on a daily basis. In fact, the actual formation of a question forces us to care about the topic we are asking about.
Both the questioner and the questioned derive several benefits from questions: Questions show you are listening and actually help you be a better listener; they encourage suspension of assumptions which can lead to stress and misunderstanding; they demonstrate respect for individuals and their ideas; they stimulate courage and sincerity to face a question honestly; and they show vulnerability and captures understanding and insight.
The basics of forming questions harken back to our elementary schools days when we learned the Who, What, When, Where, How and Why method of writing articles. Who is involved; what is the issue; when does it occur; where else did it happen; how can it be resolved; why does it occur.
When questions are asked in a specific structure, they can provide great insights. An example is the four questions Deloitte asks in their performance management process. As you read these, think about how questions that ask what supervisors would do with their employees instead of what they think about them could change your experience with evaluations. The answers are measured from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.”
- Given what I know of this person’s performance, and if it were my money, I would award this person the highest possible compensation increase and bonus [measures overall performance and value to the organization.]
- Given when I know of this person’s performance, I would always want him or her on my team [measures ability to work well with others]
- This person is at risk for low performance [identifies problems]
- This person is ready for promotion today [measures potential]
Speaking of questions; here is one to ponder: If flies had no wings, would we call them walks? Answer may be coming from our entomologists.
Reminders: Ohio State has adopted a tobacco free policy that supports a healthy environment for all members of the Buckeye Nation. Effective January 1, 2014, the use of all types of tobacco products is prohibited in all university buildings and on all university-owned properties, including parking lots, garages, and all outside areas. (The full policy can be found at http://hr.osu.edu/policy/policy720.PDF)
Our tobacco free policy is intended to encourage employees, students, and visitors to improve their health by eliminating the use of tobacco products. It is not intended to drive tobacco use from on campus to our off-campus neighbors. The consideration and cooperation of tobacco users and non-tobacco users alike is needed to fully implement the policy. (these two paragraphs will be the substitution for the last two paragraphs for the blog for all)
