Rethinking the HOW: Empowering Others Through Thoughtful Questions

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As a proud alum of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, I’ve taken the drive to campus from Chicago dozens of times in the last twenty plus years.  For those of you who are unfamiliar, the drive itself is relatively straight-forward; with the exception of a few traffic spots, on a sunny day you can expect nearly empty roads with farms and cornfields on either side.

Leadership Lesson: The “Right” Way?

For much of the drive, the speed limit is consistent: 65 MPH.  On the clearest and sunniest day, with no one else around, how fast would you drive?

When asked this question, the answers in any given room are incredibly diverse.  The vast majority of individuals suppose they would drive 75 or 80 MPH.  There are the daredevils who push 95 or 100+ MPH.  There’s often someone with an exact answer, like 73 MPH, who shares that from experience he or she knows that speeding ticket fees vary after the 15 MPH above mark.  And always, no matter the size of the room, there’s someone who sheepishly admits that they’re the rule-follower going exactly 65 MPH.

A room full of respondents, many with several different answers to the question of how fast they will be driving.  Why is it, then, that anyone driving faster than us is a maniac, anyone driving slower than us is a slow-poke, and we are always driving the exact, perfect, correct speed?

Understanding “The HOW”

When delegating a task or explaining a need for a project, it’s necessary to give the WHAT and the WHY.  The WHAT are the details, the project scope, the needs or intended outcomes.  We need this information to better understand what the project or ask is all about.  We also need the WHY; understanding why this initiative is being implemented provides the necessary context to make informed decisions when executing the request.  We are often excellent at providing the WHAT, and we’re frequently good at providing the WHY.  Think back to communication you’ve had at work with a peer or direct report: have you also been sharing the HOW?

The HOW is where micro-managing comes into play.  Have you shared too many specifications about the PowerPoint format?  Or what the copy of that e-mail should contain?  When thinking about the scenario above, the WHAT is making the request to take a drive from Chicago, and the WHY is the context about what the trip is for.  The HOW is the exact path to take, and the exact speed to drive.  Simply put, there’s more than one way!

How do I apply this to my leadership practice?

When providing instructions for an ask to a direct report, resist the urge to provide the HOW along with the WHAT and the WHY.  A part of a direct report’s learning is the empowering process for them to make decisions on their own.  Sharing the HOW halts that ability from the get-go, and often encourages seeking your specific approval for every action moving forward.  The more you can empower your direct report to make the decision themselves, the more likely they will be confident to make decisions on their own, solve problems that are holding them back, learn new skills and ultimately advance their own careers.

This week, pay attention to the amount of the WHAT, the WHY, and the HOW that you share with your direct reports.  What can you do to decrease the HOW?  What questions, instead of HOW explanations, can you ask of your direct reports to ensure the end product is equally as polished?