Comments on: Query for judgment

By: Leading on solutions vs. problems vs. values

Leading on solutions vs. problems vs. values — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 06:59:09 +0000

[...] managers focus on communicating problems. When they have alignment on problems, they query for judgment about the solutions. They just point out that the website is slow, and they ask their reports how [...]

By: mikedartt

mikedartt — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:59:24 +0000

Good stuff, Jason. I'd add that this approach provides another benefit:

* You can fix and prevent miscommunications.

In a relatively simple example where someone's not performing to expectations, this approach is a much better way to discover, for example, that the person wasn't fully aware of the expectations, or that his understanding of them was different than yours. It's also one of the few ways to find out that *you've* made a mistake--perhaps this misunderstanding stemmed from poor communication on your part. And so forth.

I find querying for judgment extremely useful in non-business relationships as well: the "being heard" and "showing respect" aspects go a long way toward keeping relationships healthy, and knowing the "why" of an error is crucial to effectively addressing it. In fact, I figured this principle out when debating philosophy in college, where I often found that other people's interpretations of philosophers' ideas were vastly different than mine, so it was all but useless to e.g. break down Kant's ideas versus addressing what *they* thought were Kant's ideas.

I want to second Matt's last point as well. Since subordinates are often ignorant of the process leading to various decisions/metrics/expectations, it's crucially important to give a "why" whenever possible to minimize the risk of seeming arbitrary and autocratic. I've seen this lack of knowledge underlie the majority of grievances and complaint sessions.

Finally, thanks for contrasting this with the approach of "giving" ideas to people. It's a timely reminder, as I'm having to train two new salespeople and it's tempting to just deluge them with tips and information, while I'd expect querying to yield better results. (Though it would be easier to avoid the temptation to dump info if the company allowed for overlap in scheduling instead of training having to come out of my personal time....)

By: The Little Things · Peanut Butter and Jelly Management

The Little Things · Peanut Butter and Jelly Management — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:23:40 +0000

[...] Jason Crawford’s recent post on a management principle he calls “Query for Judgment” reminded me of those fascinating parallels between parenting and management. His rule is, [...]

By: Paul Blair

Paul Blair — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:16:41 +0000

Nice post. One thing that I think is a precondition for this kind of approach is that reports feel safe in communicating their views. I’m currently reading *Crucial Conversations,* which has been recommended to me by several people as a valuable book on this subject. So far it looks pretty good.

By: Jason

Jason — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:16:29 +0000

Bill, I agree. I was coming from the context that Halelly described: a confident, high-judgment individual who has to learn new skills to succeed as a manager and a leader.

Jeff Immelt (CEO of GE) said this in a 2007 NYT interview: “When you run General Electric, there are 7 to 12 times a year when you have to say, ‘you’re doing it my way.’ If you do it 18 times, the good people will leave. If you do it 3 times, the company falls apart. You want a team of leaders who are self-confident. But in the end it is not a democracy. There has to be clarity about decisions.” http://select.nytimes.com/2007/06/09/business/09nocera.html?pagewanted=all

Matt, agree with your points, too. Thanks all for the discussion.

By: Bill Brown

Bill Brown — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:42:11 +0000

I would largely agree except that I’ve worked under someone who always did exactly what you describe and always took my suggestions. At first, I got the feelings of respect that you suggest but over time I began to suspect that he was letting me do his thinking for him.

I guess what I’m saying is that leadership can be what you describe but it can also be firm, decisive action. Too much of the former and you come off as wishy-washy, too much of the latter and you’re a general in the army. The best managers in my experience are able to pick the tack that’s appropriate most often.

By: Matt Gerber

Matt Gerber — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:41:02 +0000

Good post, Jason. It’s really important for a manager to convey an earnest need to hear what his reports have to say, for purposes of discussion, argument, confirmation, et al. If a manager goes through the motions of getting this feedback but had already made up his mind (and never really intended to heed what his reports had to say), then the reports could feel cheated, i.e. “Why did you ask us in the first place?”. Also, I think it’s important for the manager to communicate at some point the reasons for his final decision if he does not disclose them while receiving feedback.

By: Halelly Azulay

Halelly Azulay — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:13:17 +0000

Jason, great post. I totally agree. In my work with leaders, I stress this kind of collaborative, open leadership style. You nailed it in your last paragraph – it’s often about leaders having to let go of a skill that got them to a leadership role (judgment and ability to make decisions) in favor of a new skill (being inquisitive and welcoming input). This is written about by executive coaches Marshall Goldsmith (What Got You Here Won’t Get You There) and Scott Eblin (The Next Level). Especially now, with the so-called multi-generational workforce, we have increasingly changing expectations of what leadership should be like. You have provided many wise suggestions that can help managers avoid many pitfalls.