Most Important Questions to Ask Leaders in Your Organization

Do you know the right questions to ask leaders at your company? Your managers have the potential to be effective at initiating change, increasing productivity, and helping your business thrive as long as they and their team are focused on the right goals. Naturally, you want to have a good sense of how things are going, which means you need to know how to ask your leaders the right questions.

When you get the answers to these questions, they can give you a better idea of what is happening in your organization as a whole, and you will have a firmer understanding of what is happening with the employees. Of course, you might not know the right questions to ask. Fortunately, we have you covered. Below, you will find some of the best questions to ask leaders at your company. eLeaP provides a seamless process to ask the right questions at the right time. Take a free 30-day trial and see how your workflow changes for the better.

What’s Going Well for Your Team Currently?

This can be a fantastic way to start things off, as it will help create a positive tone immediately. This will let your managers brag a bit about the team they have and the things they have done. Whether they are big or small accomplishments, they deserve to celebrate the wins.

This isn’t just a question to pass the time. You will want to listen to what the manager has to say about their team and perhaps even take notes. This will give you a better idea of what the team feels is important for reaching your company’s goals.

You will find that asking this type of question first is a fantastic way to ensure the meeting starts in a good place.

What Types of Barriers Are You Facing?

All organizations will have some sorts of challenges they have to deal with and fix, but the first step in doing this is to ensure that all of the barriers to success are identified. Only once you know what barriers are in place will you be able to find ways to remove them so you and your team and succeed.

Your managers should have keen insight into these barriers and challenges, as they are things the team is dealing with daily in most cases. It is important to keep in mind for you and your managers (and the rest of the team) that challenges are commonplace. They are part of life, and there will always be issues to overcome.

The way those barriers and challenges are handled will help your team understand that there are solutions to just about everything. When you are discussing the challenges, you should consider offering coaching to the manager in a way that makes them feel as though you are supporting them.

You don’t want it to seem as though you are taking over, though, so make sure you are working on solutions together. Watch and listen to how they discuss and solve problems to get a stronger idea of how the manager works.

What’s the Morale Like with the Employees?

Something managers can’t overlook is employee morale. Your managers will have a better idea of what the morale is like because they are with their team each day. They can see how things are going, and they will likely have a good idea of when there is an issue that will need to be addressed or when morale starts to suffer. Not only will they know that morale is low, but there is a good chance the manager will have an idea of why it is low.

You, along with all of the leadership in the organization, should try to do whatever you can to boost morale and keep it high. When morale is high, you will find that employees are happier and more productive.

Are You Satisfied with the Workplace?

Not only do you want to know that the employees under the manager are happy at work, but you want to know how the manager feels, too. How are they doing? Are they satisfied with how things are going, or do they feel that changes could and should be made? If so, what types of changes should be considered?

Of course, you have to remember that the only way this question will work is if the manager answers honestly. You need to build and develop trust with your employees for them to get to that level of trust.

How Can I Help You and Your Team Be More Successful?

Employee success doesn’t happen by accident. You want to make sure you have a way to help your managers find success, and one of the best ways to understand how to do that is simply by asking them. Talk with the manager and let them know that it’s always okay for them to ask questions, especially when they have the potential to make the team and the company more successful.

What it takes for employees and managers to be profitable in today’s workplace is going to evolve over time. There might be different key performance indicators that become important to the company, and you need to make sure that any changes that are implemented are passed down to the managers and the members of their team.

What Would You Do Differently?

A lot of times, managers see things that you don’t see simply because it’s the nature of their role. They are there with the employees each day on the proverbial front lines. They know the things that work and that don’t work. They will often have some ideas about how certain things could change and be improved. Ask them about those types of changes they might make and ask them why. The eLeaP PSP has powerful survey and engagement capabilities. Take a free 30-day trial and see how it improves your feedback process.

Sometimes, you will find that they have good reasons for wanting to make a change. It might be something that could benefit the entire team and your organization overall. For example, they might want to make some procedure changes that would increase efficiency and safety. Maybe they feel that offering a flex shift would work better for the employees because it gives them more options.

Listen to what they have to say and consider it. Don’t just dismiss it outright. Think about those changes and see whether they might work.

What’s the Best Thing to Happen to You This Week?

Questions to ask leaders. This is a bit more personal but doesn’t cross the line. You can talk with your manager and ask them about how they are doing and something good that happened to them this week or this month. Let them know that it doesn’t have to be something that happened at work. It could be something that happened outside of work that they are excited about.

Keep in mind that this could be about anything. They might tell you about a game they watched, a weekend camping trip, their kid’s recital, etc.

Why is it important to add this personal touch? It helps to build trust with your team. It brings people together, and it can help to increase employee retention. They feel more like a family than just a collection of workers.

How Would You Make Improvements to a Product / Service?

Ask leaders and team members about things they would do to improve the end product or service your company provides. This is different from improvements to the workplace or processes, as this touches on the actual service/product. What would they do differently and why?

They might end up having some fantastic ideas that others in the company haven’t thought of before. If any of those ideas are later implemented, make sure to give credit where it is due and reward them appropriately.

How Can I Be a Better Leader?

Questions to ask the leader. Now, it is time for some personal feedback for you. What does the manager feel you might be able to do to be a better leader? As with some of the other questions on this list, it will only work if they trust you. The last thing they want is to tell you something negative only for you to hold it against them later. Make sure they know they can trust you and never betray that trust.

Be Willing to Answer Questions, Too

You might find that some of your managers also have questions for you. Transparency is important, and you will want to be as honest with your managers and other leaders at the company as possible. After all, they are probably fielding similar questions from their team, and they want to have something they can tell the employees.

How Often Should You Talk with the Managers about These Questions to Ask Leaders?

Questions to ask leaders. There isn’t a rule as to how often you should have meetings with the managers that cover these and similar questions. It will vary from one company to another, and you will want to find the option that works well for your business. You might do it once a week or once every other week. Others might only have these types of meetings quarterly. It will all depend on what works best for the schedule you have at your organization.