From Problem to Puzzle: Approach Business Challenges with Curiosity

Effective communication is one of the most critical skills business leaders can possess. It can open doors, forge relationships, and inspire new ventures.

“Language is important,” says Jen Hetzel Silbert, co-founder of Spartina Consulting and one of the facilitators of this year’s CSO Center Secure Horizons event at GSX, sponsored by QCIC. “We often say, ‘Words create worlds.’ The language we use to describe something can change the way we feel about something.”

But using the wrong tone can quash collaborative meetings and stymie appreciative inquiry.

To influence people, business leaders often slip into one of three different professions, according to concepts from organizational psychologist Adam Grant’s “Think Again.”

Preacher. When their sacred beliefs might be in jeopardy, these individuals deliver sermons to protect and promote their ideals, seeking to persuade others to their way of thinking. This can sometimes make people feel defensive.

Prosecutor. These individuals recognize the flaws in others’ reasoning, marshal arguments, and seek to prove them wrong and win their case. But this frames the discussion as a fight, often causing the other party to shut down or walk away.

Politician. This individual is trying to win over the audience, lobbying and campaigning for constituents’ approval. But this approach can feel disingenuous or pushy.

Although these three models can be useful at times, they predispose the speaker against changing his or her mind, even if faced with compelling new evidence. In addition, when we get into the business of telling people what they should think, it’s hard to sweep them off their feet, Hetzel Silbert says. Instead, try to model a different profession: think like a scientist.

Scientists listen, examine, and study before drawing conclusions. They are curious and observant, and they pose questions designed to generate momentum toward a positive goal. Scientists leverage humility, looking for reasons why a hypothesis might be wrong, not just reasons why it might be right.

This approach can shift difficult conversations into a productive direction. After an incident, it’s easy to fall into the debate around who was right, whose fault it was, or why someone did that. But a curiosity-centric approach would reframe from “who?” “what?” and “why?” to “how?”. Consider: Here’s my point of view, but how do you see it? How did it happen? What were they trying to accomplish, and how does that affect others?

Asking those questions can reveal others’ perspectives, thought processes, and value structures, which in the long run leads to better understanding, deeper relationships, and more effective communication.

Get into the habit of asking powerful questions by leveraging the GROW model, says Tony Silbert, Secure Horizons facilitator.

Goal. This will be a successful conversation if I achieve… Consider the outcome or information you want to glean to help frame the discussion.

Reality. What is happening now? Remember that different individuals will perceive the situation differently, and those perspectives combine to provide a more holistic viewpoint.

Options. What can we do about it? What are the pros and cons of each option?

Will/Wrap up. How committed are you to the agreed-upon actions? What will you do, and what support do you need to make that effort successful?

These questions can help reframe difficult discussions—including performance evaluations, resistance against return-to-office mandates, or refusals to accept executive protection—in a more positive and collaborative way. The open-ended, curious questions engage all participants so they are more committed to the final direction. Intentionally shifting thinking to solve puzzles, not just problems, and find solutions can help “stop the complain train” and move the organization toward a more positive culture, Silbert says.

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Claire Meyer is editor-in-chief of Security Management. Connect with her on LinkedIn or via email at [email protected].