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The Surprising Power of Questions

September 24, 2022 By Todd Yancey

Much of an executive’s workday is spent asking others for information—requesting status updates from a team leader, for example, or questioning a counterpart in a tense negotiation. Yet unlike professionals such as litigators, journalists, and doctors, who are taught how to ask questions as an essential part of their training, few executives think of questioning as a skill that can be honed—or consider how their own answers to questions could make conversations more productive.

That’s a missed opportunity. Questioning is a uniquely powerful tool for unlocking value in organizations: It spurs learning and the exchange of ideas, it fuels innovation and performance improvement, it builds rapport and trust among team members. And it 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.

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About Todd Yancey

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Chief Strategy Officer @iTrust. Previously @SAP, @IBM, and @Oracle. Focused on culture, technology, and innovation. Devoted to family, friends, and a better world.

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About Todd Yancey

Todd Yancey is the former Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Board Member of IRA Services Trust Company, a financial services firm offering transaction and custody solutions.

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