This has to be the ultimate open question. When so much is changing, it creates a strong starting point to create real openness, and demonstrate generous curiosity. We need that now more than ever.
You might not use these exact words, but it’s the spirit behind them that counts.
Think of one of your key stakeholders. You think you know them well, understand their needs and the pressures they’re under.
But we don’t know as much as we think we do about others.
Ask your stakeholder, ‘It’s so important for us to build a strong future right now. I want to make sure I really understand you – what you want to achieve, what you worry about. There’s so much going on, I want to make sure that we create new opportunities. So, could we set up a meeting just for me to learn more about you and your role?’
You’d both enjoy the conversation and the positive energy it created.
There’s a gravitational pull towards the tactical, especially now.
In this world of rapid and dramatic change, we have to move to the strategic.
Whose world would you like to explore with this question?