The Art of Asking Questions

 

As project managers, our role is to get work done through other people. This means we not only need the right people on the team, but we need the humility to admit that there are many people who know much more than we do. “When I started out as a project manager, I would listen intently to the information being shared as I was introduced to a project team. There were always many terms, acronyms, best practices, deliverables, and methodologies that I did not fully comprehend or that were contrary to what I had previously encountered,” reflects Louise Chalupiak, Project Managers Without Borders volunteer and co-host of the TechGenix Xtreme podcast. She recalls how she would quietly listen and take notes, all the while thinking, “don’t worry, it will all make sense as I become more engaged.” And sometimes it did. The problem is that sometimes it didn’t. As a project manager with a similar mindset, you may have experience playing “fix and repair” with issues that could have been avoided if only you had asked the right questions.

In developing the newest Project Managers Without Borders initiative, the WaterRico Project, Eric Schempp and his team had many opportunities to practice the art of asking questions. The WaterRico project was an evolutionary process in trying to understand what the Rotary Club [Centennial Colorado chapter] had in mind and what their goals were. I think there was a learning experience for all of us involved.” The team and project stakeholders used standard project management methodology to define the requirements of the project and to delineate the must-haves from the nice-to-haves in developing the ideas for the project.

“We understood we wanted to do a water project. But what that meant, we weren’t quite sure,” reflects Schempp. Through research to answer their questions and asking stakeholders about their needs, the team narrowed the scope and goals of the WarterRico project. 

Here are a few tips for asking questions:

• In that preliminary project meeting, when someone references an acronym that is your cue to speak up. Ask what the acronym stands for and how did it originate.
• If a reference is made to a program, ask the purpose of the program and who maintains or manages it. This will also help to identify stakeholders who might otherwise have been overlooked.
• If someone mentions a person’s name who is not currently in the room, ask who that person is and if they should be included as a stakeholder.
• If a statement is made that does not resonate with you or seem to make sense, ask for clarification.

Most importantly, also remember

TO BE ABLE TO ASK A QUESTION CLEARLY

IS TWO‐THIRDS OF THE WAY TO

GETTING IT ANSWERED

John Ruskin

The role of the project manager is based on research and communication. Project managers help scope out the vision of the project and help partners to narrow down the project so the outcomes can be realized. This all starts with asking questions, and it is never too early in the project to begin.