Most of
my work as a facilitator revolves around asking the right questions. Sometimes
even tough questions. Recently I was facilitating a group of Function Heads of
an engineering/manufacturing Organization. The market for their product was in
the dumps. We were talking about challenging comfort zones in a time like this
for themselves and their departments.
I had a very sceptical Head of Production who
wasn’t ‘buying it’. Apparently, it had been announced that year, that there
would be no incentives for exceeding the Minimum Required Production (MRP) for
the workers (say 100 units a day, per worker). As a result morale was low and
the workers simply stopped production once they had reached this minimum
expected number. “No amount of motivation will work with them. Money is the
only motivator.” I was told. Everybody agreed readily, except for the newly
appointed Head of RnD. The Head of HR hastily added that, the workers were
being paid their salary on time; there had been no layoffs either which was
great as compared to their competitors who had handed out pink slips by the
hundreds.
I posed some questions to the Head of Production,
1. Would
you feel and do the same if you were in the worker’s shoes?
His
answer: “Yes of course I wouldn’t do anything beyond the MRP if I wasn’t
getting paid for it! Why should I?” (More nods from the rest of the group)
2. Are there any workers that go above and beyond
that minimum number even though they know that they will not get any incentive
for it?
His
answer: A little hesitantly, “Yes there are a few, about 7-8. They do it to
pass their time I guess.”
3. What are you doing to ensure that these few
continue to do their extra bit?
His
Answer: Silence
The room was silent for a while. I let the question
weigh on everyone’s mind. The Finance Head asked, “So what can we do to
motivate the few who continue to exceed their MRP?
Where do you think they should begin?
Begin
from within I say. All the Heads already held the same belief as their workers.
If you believe that power is the only motivator obviously you will never look
beyond it. We rolled up our sleeves and did some work on how they would address
this problem. All the solutions came from them. The discussion was constructive
and positive.
The power of probing and asking the right questions
is immense. It can change paradigms and force us to examine harmful beliefs.
Questions can help us to polish our mirrors and see who we really are.
Facilitation is about helping people to look within and clean off the dust from
their mirrors. With clarity comes insight and the ability to tackle problems
creatively and address issues authentically. Questions help us clarify our
vision and make the assumptions and intent behind decisions more conscious. A
good question can get to the heart of the real issue. It helps you understand
the other person’s goals and aspirations. It enables the other person to reach
their own conclusions. It reframes the problem and sometimes it can even
inspire commitment.
