As a manager, you’re often seen as the person with the answers. Your team looks to you for guidance, solutions and clarity. It’s natural, after all, part of your role is to steer projects, remove obstacles and make decisions.
But here’s the paradox: if you always provide the answer, you unintentionally limit your team’s growth, ownership and problem-solving capacity.
One of the most powerful coaching skills for managers is learning to ask better questions, especially when every instinct tells you to jump in with a solution. It can feel counterintuitive at first, but developing this skill can transform not only how your team performs but also how they engage with challenges.
Why Questions Matter More Than Answers
- Empowerment over dependency: When you give the answer, the issue is solved for now. When you ask the right question, the team member learns to think differently, solve independently, and grow. Instead of relying on you every time a challenge arises, they build confidence in their own judgment.
- Ownership: A solution someone discovers themselves feels far more meaningful than one handed down. Ownership increases accountability and people are more invested in seeing their ideas succeed.
- Innovation: Better questions spark new thinking that may lead to solutions you hadn’t considered. Curiosity-driven conversations open the door to creative approaches, pushing your team beyond conventional answers.
Four Practical Techniques to Ask Better Questions1. Shift from “Why” to “What/How”
“Why” questions can feel accusatory and put people on the defensive. Instead, try:“What led you to choose this approach?”, “How else might you tackle this challenge?”. These questions encourage reflection and exploration rather than explanation or justification.
2. Use Open-Ended Curiosity
Replace yes/no questions with ones that invite discussion:“What options have you considered?”,“What would success look like here?”. Open-ended questions create space for dialogue and help uncover insights that might otherwise go unnoticed.
3. Pause Longer Than Feels Comfortable
Silence often signals thinking. Resist the urge to fill the gap with your answer. Pause, give your team member time to process and allow them to work through ideas at their own pace. This may feel uncomfortable initially, but it’s where real problem-solving happens.
4. Coach the Next Step, Not the Whole Journey You don’t need them to solve everything at once. Ask:“What’s one small step you could take next?” Focusing on incremental progress keeps the conversation actionable and prevents overwhelm.
Being a manager doesn’t mean always having the answers. It means creating the conditions where your team can grow into their own problem-solvers. Next time you feel the urge to jump in with a quick fix, pause and ask a better question instead.
You’ll be surprised at how capable your team truly is and how much stronger your leadership becomes in the process.
