Asking the Important Questions

by Syrup | Oct 20, 2020

Twice a week our team comes together for a quick Debrief Session, during which three very different, yet equally important, questions are asked to the team. As a Project Manager, these are the meetings that I look forward to each week because they tell me which processes are running smoothly and are working exceptionally well, and which may need to be improved moving forward. I highly encourage you to spend some time asking your team the following questions about the current processes or workflows within your business –  you will be amazed at the results. 

 The three questions that are asked in these sessions are simple, yet effective: 

Question #1: What highlights do you have from the week? 

Use this to kick things off and get the conversation flowing. This is a chance for the team to share snippets of information or impactful tasks they have been working on during the week. Whether it’s recognizing a fellow coworker for their amazing work on a website homepage design or sharing the excitement of launching a new campaign into market, there is always something to celebrate! 

Question #2: What didn’t work? 

The purpose of this question is to uncover the issues around current workflows and processes that may be causing inefficiencies, misunderstandings, or struggles across the team. Receiving honest feedback from the same team who are using these processes on a daily basis is one of the most important components of continual improvement, which is something we strive for. Your process may seem perfect on the outside, but until you put it to the test and ask your team this question, it may not be as effective as you intended it to be. 

Question #3: What is working? 

While one of the main purposes of our Debrief Sessions is to expose potential issues within our workflows, another equally important one is to identify what is working well. Talking through the positives of a workflow or process will not only tell you what you need to keep doing, but it might also even spark new ideas and opportunities to update additional processes in ways you have never thought of before. 

If you are thinking about having your own Debrief Sessions with your team, remember that the key to any session is to provide an open environment where your team can speak honestly. I’ve found that asking these simple yet important questions is what ultimately leads to your team creating incredible work together.