A LESSON FROM THE MAYOR

A question doesn’t need to be complicated to be powerful.  In fact, great questions have a habit of cutting through the noise when you least expect it. I saw this first hand when I worked with Bill de Blasio, former Mayor of New York City. His flaws have been well documented but he was remarkable when it came to asking questions

I spent time with the Mayor during his preps for Town Hall meetings that occurred in different communities around New York City. At these Town Halls he would make a few announcements (i.e, the construction of a new police precinct), and then take questions from the audience for hours. Anyone in attendance could ask a question, and preps for the meetings were intense. The Mayor didn’t want to be caught off guard. They usually took place in a beautiful room in Gracie Mansion on the Upper East Side— his official residence. 
 
Nearly every agency was expected to be present and provide the Mayor with read outs of their activity on the ground. Sewage, crossing guards, policing, it didn’t matter. The Mayor would then pepper the heads of agencies with follow up questions that cleanly sliced to the heart of the matter. The best ones were the simplest and seemed obvious as soon as the words came out of his mouth. And the answers to these questions, provided the talking point that he could share with the public. 

I love questions. And I’m so passionate about them because they are the cornerstone to my coaching philosophy. Powerful questions that come from a true place of curiosity allow clients to pause and make better decisions. I have found that advice can be ignored in the way that a question can’t.
 
Whether I’m coaching someone, faciliating a workshop, or leading a retreat, my main focus is on using questions to unlock larger truths to service my clients. Once those truths reveal themselves, it’s possible to take action and make change.