This week in the world’s #1 newsletter on leadership communication:

Precision Questions = Precision Answers
On the Show: NASA Framework Winning Big Budgets Revealed
Why your team gives you vague answers (and how to fix it)

Precision Questions = Precision Answers

Washoe was a chimpanzee who learned 350 words in American Sign Language.

She could tell you she was hungry or thirsty. She even expressed emotions via hand signals and taught her adopted son some of the signs she had learned.

When she died in 2007, the New York Times ran the obituary under the headline "Washoe, a Chimp of Many Words, Dies at 42."

350 words. And yet – in her entire life – she never once asked a question.

When I first heard this story I was stunned. Animals are curious by nature but asking questions seems to be one of the most uniquely human things we do. We are born curious. Any parent knows that a toddler can ask hundreds of questions a day. (“but WHY!?!”)

Asking questions is also an essential part of leadership. It is how we learn what’s going on, guide a team and make decisions.

But there is a difference between asking questions and asking the right questions.

Most leaders ask plenty of questions. The problem is that vague questions invite vague answers – and vague answers lead to unclear decisions, missed deadlines, and misaligned teams.

In my two decades in leadership, I've learned that precision questions equal precision answers.

Here's what that looks like in practice in 10 common leadership situations:

1/ Project updates

Vague: “How’s the project going?”

Vague: “It’s going well, just some challenges.”

Precise: “What is the biggest risk to delivery right now?”

Precise: “We’re on track, but supplier delays could cost us a week.”

2/ Feedback

Vague: “Any feedback?”

Vague: “It was good overall.”

Precise: “What is one thing I should stop doing?”

Precise: “Your message was clear, but the opening was too long.”

3/ Meetings

Vague: “What do you think?”

Vague: “I think it could work.”

Precise: “Do you agree with this direction?”

Precise: “Yes, if we reduce scope. No, if we keep it as is.”

4/ Delegation

Vague: “Can you take care of this?”

Vague: “I’ll try.”

Precise: “Can you deliver this outcome by Thursday?”

Precise: “Yes, if I get the input from the team today.”

5/ Strategy

Vague: “What’s the plan?”

Vague: “We have a strategy deck.”

Precise: “What is our top priority this quarter?”

Precise: “We only focus on X. Everything else is secondary.”

6/ Problem-solving

Vague: “What’s the issue?”

Vague: “Sales are down.”

Precise: “What exactly is not working right now?”

Precise: “Conversion dropped 5% after the pricing change.”

7/ Decision-making

Vague: “Should we do this?”

Vague: “It depends.”

Precise: “What is the upside, downside, and risk?”

Precise: “The upside is clear, the risk is manageable. I recommend we proceed.”

8/ Alignment

Vague: “Are we aligned?”

Vague: “Yep, good to go.”

Precise: “What does success look like in one sentence?”

Precise: “Success means launching by June with three pilot clients.”

9/ Performance

Vague: “How did it go?”

Vague: “Pretty good.”

Precise: “What worked, what didn’t, what will you change?”

Precise: “Strong close. Weak opening. I’ll tighten it by 3 minutes next time.”

10/ Leadership

Vague: “Any concerns?”

Vague: “Not sure about the timeline.”

Precise: “What is one thing that could fail here?”

Precise: “Our timeline is too optimistic by two weeks.”

Washoe never asked a question because she couldn't. You can. Make it count.

(Get my one-page cheat sheet on precision questions & answers.)

ON THE SHOW

NASA Framework Winning Big Budgets Revealed

▶️ Episode 322 with NASA’s Paul Propster on YouTube, Spotify or Apple.

A $100 million NASA mission to measure air pollution from space was rejected twice because not enough people believed in it.

This week on Speak Like a CEO, former Chief Story Architect Paul Propster reveals what NASA changed to greenlight this mission, what they learnt collaborating with Pixar, and how you can use his persuasive framework to get your ideas to win.

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

How to Get What You Want

Most people think persuasion is about winning people with strong arguments. In reality, that approach often backfires.

Joshua Bandoch flips the script: persuasion begins with the other person, not with you or your arguments. Yet usually we come loaded with arguments, make our case and then wonder why nothing moves.

Bandoch breaks it down into three steps:

1/ Adopt the "persuader's mindset." Make it about them, not your arguments. "The me-first mindset is an antipersuasion tactic."

2/ Use how the brain actually works. It feels first and reasons later. We believe what we believe, factual or not. Launching a logic tsunami therefore backfires, often spectacularly.

3/ Apply tested techniques. Persuasion geniuses have a clear vision. They appeal to their audience's values, unite people around a shared goal, and tell stories that actually land. And they pass the Granny Test – they can explain their argument in a way your granny gets it.

Have an inspired weekend,

Oliver