5 Questions Every Manager Needs to Ask Their Direct Reports

One thing that every great leader has in common is that they know how to ask the right questions.

It's what separates a good leader from a great one.

Yet, so many leaders make the mistake of asking the wrong questions, and then they wonder why their team is disengaged, unmotivated, and underperforming. Which is why in this episode, I'm going to show you five powerful questions that can transform your team dynamics, boost morale, and drive exceptional performance.

Today, we're going to explore five powerful questions that every manager should be asking their direct reports. These questions can transform your team dynamics, boost morale, and drive exceptional performance.

Question 1 - How would you like to grow within this organization?

The first question is how would you like to grow within this organization?

This simple question shows your employees that you care about their career aspirations and that you're invested in their long term success. This is important because when employees feel like you're invested in their future, they're more likely to be engaged and motivated. This is going to lead to increased retention, higher performance, and a stronger talent pipeline.

When you ask this question, you want to frame it in an open ended way to encourage thoughtful responses. Also, you want to make sure to create a safe and supportive environment where your employee feels comfortable with sharing their ambitions.

Here are some potential follow up questions to help you drive the conversation further. You could ask, What specific skills or knowledge do you want to develop? What challenges do you foresee in achieving your goals? How can I support you in achieving your career aspirations? These are great follow up questions to take it further, just in case the person you're talking to isn't that quick to open up right away. You want to keep asking follow up questions like how, what, where, when, and why. For the rest of these questions, I'm going to go through in this episode, I'm going to give you some powerful follow up questions to keep that conversation going with the direct report.

Question 2 - Do you feel a sense of purpose in your job?

The second question is, do you feel a sense of purpose in your job? Engaged employees are more productive, more satisfied, and more committed to their work. By asking this simple question, you can identify any disengagement issues and address them proactively. When you're able to help a direct report establish a connection between their job and their sense of purpose, it's going to significantly boost their morale, their motivation, and their performance.

This is because when employees feel connected to a larger cause, they're more likely to go the extra mile for you and for the company. This leads to increased job satisfaction, reduced turnover, and a more positive work environment for them, you, and everybody involved and everybody who works with that person. It creates opportunities for your employees to connect their work to the bigger picture.

Now, one very important tip on this one, when you ask this question, or any of these questions for that matter, be sure to use empathic listening to understand their perspective. Now, if you're not sure what empathic listening is, you're going to want to check out my episode called How To Make Sure People Listen And Understand You. I'll include a link to that episode in the description.

Now, after asking this question to your direct report, here are some potential follow up questions that'll help you drive that conversation further. How does your work contribute to the overall goals of the company? What would make your job and the work you do more meaningful to you? Are you excited about the work you're doing?

Question 3 - What do you need from me to do your best work?

The third question is, what do you need from me to do your best work? By asking this question, you demonstrate a willingness to support your team and empower them to succeed. When employees feel supported and valued, they're more likely to be satisfied with their jobs and committed to their work.

So when you ask this question, listen closely to their response and look to identify any obstacles or barriers that are hindering their performance. Then go deeper with follow up questions like this. Are there any resources or tools that would help you be more effective in your role? Is there anything I can do to improve our working relationship? Do you feel like you have the autonomy that you need to make decisions? Are there any specific challenges you're facing that I can help you with?

Question 4 - What are we currently not doing as a company that you feel we should be doing?

The fourth question is, what are we currently not doing as a company that you feel we should be doing? Asking this question is openly welcoming and encouraging their feedback and suggestions. By doing this, you're going to foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement with that person and throughout your team.

This is important because when employees feel heard and valued, they're more likely to share their ideas and contribute to the company's success. But on the other hand, when they don't, they're going to keep those ideas to themselves. This is why you need to use this question to create a safe and non-judgmental space for feedback. You also need to encourage honest and constructive criticism as well.

Then aim to dive a little bit deeper with follow-up questions like this. What new ideas or initiatives could we implement to improve our performance? How can we better adapt to changing conditions in our market? What do you think are the biggest challenges facing our industry and how can we address them?

Question 5 - Do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?

The fifth and final question is, do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day? This question is super important. It's probably the most important one because by maximizing employee strengths and potential, you can boost morale, job satisfaction, and overall team performance.

When employees are doing what they love, They're happier, more fulfilled and more productive. That's just a fact. So when you ask this question, be specific and focus on their core competencies and find ways to create opportunities for them to use their strength more often than they already are.

Now, here's some good follow up questions you can use to keep that conversation going. What do you feel are your top strengths, and how are you using them in your current role? Are there any current tasks you're doing or current responsibilities that you're doing that you find less fulfilling? How can we better align your work with your strengths and your interests?

By asking these five questions, along with these follow up questions I've given you, you're not just checking a box. You're investing in your team's growth and well being. Remember a motivated and engaged team is a high performing team.

If you're looking for more ways to motivate an underperforming direct report or a disengaged team, you want to check out my episode called The Science Behind Motivating Employees In The Workplace. You're going to learn the psychology of motivation along with practical strategies to re engage your team.

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