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Smart Questions: The Essential Strategy for Successful Managers
Whether you manage one person or hundreds, asking the right question at the right time is one of the most valuable skills you can have. It's what distinguishes a good manager from a great one. This definitive guide shows you how to ask for the most from your staff--and get it!
- Enhance "people productivity" through motivation
- Turn your question into positive action
- Ask the right question of the right person, at the right time
- Conduct a hiring interview, the Smart Questions way
- Reduce mistakes and overcome objections
- Solve problems and gain control over volatile situations
"Dorothy Leads has contributed enormously to the practice of good management. This is a book you should read."--Nancy Austin, coauthor of A Passion for Excellence
- Enhance "people productivity" through motivation
- Turn your question into positive action
- Ask the right question of the right person, at the right time
- Conduct a hiring interview, the Smart Questions way
- Reduce mistakes and overcome objections
- Solve problems and gain control over volatile situations
"Dorothy Leads has contributed enormously to the practice of good management. This is a book you should read."--Nancy Austin, coauthor of A Passion for Excellence
326 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 14, 2023
Tough book to read without a specific scenario in mind. I would appreciate an updated version so the examples could be more applicable.
March 26, 2010
Smart Questions by Dorothy Leeds really helped me understand the power of questions and to appreciate the skill - and reward -associated with asking good questions. And knowing how to listen.
Leeds stresses how important it is to fit the question to the person based on their personality type (commander, convincer, carer, calculator), not only to get better results, but to help build better ongoing communication. Recognizing myself and others in the profiles, I had a few "Aha!" moments and gained a better appreciation for what Leeds was putting forward. I saw where I had succeeded or fallen short, and why.
Leeds provides the following system, which accompanies her "Smart Questions" technique of asking the right question to the right person at the right time (note includes questions you ask yourself regarding your own motivations and goals!):
Step 1: The Windup
Step 2: The Delivery
Step 3: The Response
Step 4: The Evaluation
Step 5: The Payoff
As a manager, I appreciated the section on hiring, team fit and delegation. As a project team leader, the sections on negotiation and creative ideas / problem-solving were especially helpful. And there is a great section devoted to job-seekers.
There are also three quizzes (Chapter 1 actually opens with a quiz) to help you learn about yourself and to help put theory into practice before applying the "Smart Questions" technique in the real world.
I have recommended this book to my colleagues and always come back to it as an ongoing reference.
Leeds stresses how important it is to fit the question to the person based on their personality type (commander, convincer, carer, calculator), not only to get better results, but to help build better ongoing communication. Recognizing myself and others in the profiles, I had a few "Aha!" moments and gained a better appreciation for what Leeds was putting forward. I saw where I had succeeded or fallen short, and why.
Leeds provides the following system, which accompanies her "Smart Questions" technique of asking the right question to the right person at the right time (note includes questions you ask yourself regarding your own motivations and goals!):
Step 1: The Windup
Step 2: The Delivery
Step 3: The Response
Step 4: The Evaluation
Step 5: The Payoff
As a manager, I appreciated the section on hiring, team fit and delegation. As a project team leader, the sections on negotiation and creative ideas / problem-solving were especially helpful. And there is a great section devoted to job-seekers.
There are also three quizzes (Chapter 1 actually opens with a quiz) to help you learn about yourself and to help put theory into practice before applying the "Smart Questions" technique in the real world.
I have recommended this book to my colleagues and always come back to it as an ongoing reference.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews