Improve your leadership skills, patient relationships and even your parenting by simply asking questions. 

As a leader in your organization, your team looks to you for answers, but that doesn’t mean you have to give them the direct answer. To support them without taking on the full responsibility, ask great questions. Lead them in the right direction and they will likely get where they need to be on their own. It may not be the method you would have chosen, but they still get from point A to point B. Allowing your team to learn through the process will give them better decision-making skills and help you delegate these decisions as a leader. 

So, what sort of questions should you ask? 

Here are a few great default questions:

• How might you do that differently if given the chance?
• What does your instinct tell you to do in this situation?
• What would you do if you were the owner of this business?
• What is the best solution for the patient, and how can you make it happen?
• If you had a magic wand, what would you do?

These questions really help drive the conversation and help your team to think critically. They also allow you to steer the conversation in a different direction if they’re not quite on the right track. 

Open-Ended Questions

Equally important as the questions you ask, is the way you ask them. Unless it’s really a situation that needs a yes or no question, be sure to ask an open-ended question. An open-ended question forces the individual to truly respond. A great tip to form an open-ended question is to start with a ‘What’ instead of a ‘Do’ when you’re phrasing the question. 

Avoid “Why” Questions

Try to avoid starting out a question with the word ‘Why’. Why is known to invoke a defensive mode in the individual being asked as they often feel they have to justify their answer or that the person asking why is judging the scenario. Even something as simple as asking your child ‘Why are all these dirty clothes still on the floor?’ or ‘Why haven’t you done your homework?’ can feel much harsher than a simple ‘What’s up with the clothes?’ or ‘How’s your homework coming along?’

How to Use Questions in a Provider/Patient Scenario

Some great open-ended questions will truly help you understand the patients needs and desires and solidify an exceptional patient experience. 

“What questions do you have? “

This is a great substitute for ‘Do you have any questions?’ because it assumes the patient will have questions and gives them permission to ask them. Often patients will say no to not feel like a burden, but if you give them permission you may get to answer the questions and help them understand the importance of their treatment.

Here are a few more examples of open-ended questions:

• What is the one thing you would change about your smile?
• What would make you more comfortable in your appointment?
• Which of your family members can we get scheduled for treatment?

Give it a try – start asking more questions. You’ll be amazed at some of the responses and the creativity that can come from your teams, patients, family, etc. Listen to their responses with an openness and willingness to learn and let this guide your next question. 

Happy questioning!

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