💡 \"Lightbulb Moments\" - Avoiding the 'Yes, I agree' trap
🕑 1 min Read
The Problem
When you ask your team members about your ideas, you can't tell if they truly agree or just say "yes" because you're their boss. This makes getting honest feedback difficult.
A Solution: Offer Multiple Options
Instead of giving one suggestion, present several choices without showing which one you prefer. This lets people pick what actually makes sense to them without feeling like they're disagreeing with you.
Example
Not helpful: "I think we should delay the project until next month. Sound good?"
More helpful: "For the project timeline, I imagine we could: delay until next month, split it into phases, keep our current deadline..or another option I did not think of. What option do you have in mind that fulfulls our overall project goal?"
Give it a try. It takes practice to not reveal your favorite option through your tone or facial expressions, but it's worth it for the honest input (choice) you'll receive.
Maik
Maik Frank
Maik is a PCC Executive Coach and the founder of IntelliCoach.com. He has coached and trained over 400 People Leaders to improve their communication skills and offers guaranteed measurable growth to his clients. He also hosts the Coaching Leader Podcast.
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