A number of years ago when I coached middle managers rather than the execs that now make up my client base, on occasion I urged managers to do more MBWA. It's always important to let your employees know you're interested in them,to catch up on the status of projects, to offer needed help or gain insights into bettering organizational performance.
Inevitably the first question coming out out of their mouths after I made that recommendation was "what do I say when I stop by someone's cubicle?" I suggested that they initiate the conversation with the cliched hello, how are you, and do whatever updating or giving of positive feedback possible. Then follow that up with relevant questions.
As a result, I have become a question freak. In a fascinating interview of Deborah Dunsire, CEO of a Massachusetts biotech firm, she laid out her MBWA questions. I thought they might be useful for most anyone's managing toolkit:
"Hey, what's keeping you up nights?"
"What's most exciting for you right now?"
"What are you working on?"
"Where do you see we can improve?"
Analyzing these questions, note that they focus on problem issues, personal motivation, work status and possible organizational development. It would be rare for an effective listener to have the opportunity to ask all four. You might get waylaid on just the first question. . . and that's fine, too.
The cynics out there might be thinking that those questions are obvious. The reality is that they're only obvious when you see them in print. Advice is one thing, but my clients at all levels, from entry to corporate officers repeatedly thank me for the actual scripts. Indeed, questioning has such high value that I've created a category on my blog for those entries. Starting with the importance of questions to creativity is a good entry place. So, plagiarize, merrily.