Questioning Precedes Improvement

When we have employees who are constantly questioning, it can be perceived as a negative behaviour or at least an annoying behaviour. The leaders of old would have said something akin to, “Just do your damn job.”  We may be tempted to think that they do not trust the leadership or the decisions that are being made or that they are using questioning as a delaying tactic so that they do not have to muck in and get the job done.  Some may feel they are resistant to change, but it could be that they just seek to understand the reasons that things are the way they are, to try and see if things can be done better.   

Working in an organization looking to embed a continuous improvement culture, there must be people who are questioning the decisions and thinking of ways it can be done better.  As leaders, let's not take this as a threat or assume the feedback is meant to show we are wrong. If we do find questioning behaviour as threatening, then it may be time to do a bit of soul searching to find out why we are responding as such.   

It takes courage to question the status quo, and we need to have these people in the organisation to challenge us.  We should not expect our team to follow us blindly like sheep, for it is when we are uncomfortable that we all truly grow. Allowing your employees to question and listen fully before making a judgment is a sign of respect. It shows humility and reinforces that you really are interested in improving things in your team.  We must show respect to employees, as research shows it is the most important quality leaders should demonstrate. It ranked above recognition, communicating an inspiring vision, providing feedback, or even growth opportunities. 

Those who get respect from their leaders reported 56% better health and well-being, 72% more trust and safety, 89% greater enjoyment and satisfaction with their jobs, 92% greater focus and prioritization than those who didn’t. Respect also had a clear impact on engagement. The more leaders give, the higher the level of employee engagement: People who said leaders treated them with respect were 55% more engaged.  No one respects a sheep; they may be liked for allowing the leader to walk the easy path, but those who question appropriately and are invested in improvement are the employees who will propel us to the next level and deserve your respect.  Leaders who learn to show respect to their team will have better engagement and productivity, and their team will ultimately make their life easier.