Relational questions are all about questions that help you form relationships. So this is about getting to know each other. It’s about things like vulnerability, it’s about curiosity and seeking to understand more about someone else outside of just work and work life.
So when we are thinking about relational questions, it can sound deceptively simple, but what’s really important is that when we ask these questions, And when we talk about these questions, they’re things like, how was your weekend? Or What are you excited about this week? Or is there anything concerning you or any challenges that you may have? When we ask these questions, we’re trying to go beyond just surface level, so we’re actually really listening to the answer. We’re practicing active listening, we’re being curious, and we’re seeking to understand what is going on for that other person.
And then building on that, is there anything we can do as a leader to support? So if we find out that someone has got a challenge in their personal life, that means that week is tough for them, is there any way we can help reallocate work? For example.
If there’s something they’re really excited about, then we should try and remember that and we should ask follow up questions about that.
And again, this is all about building those relationships. And we know when we’ve got relationships in place, people are more effective. People enjoy work more. And we ultimately have the better outcomes.
