The Most Powerful Tool on the Jobsite Might Be a Question
Construction teams are full of people who know how to solve problems. We make decisions, respond to RFIs, adjust schedules, coordinate trades, and figure out what to do when the plan meets reality. But some of the best project outcomes do not begin with an answer. They begin with a question.
A well-timed question can uncover information, surface an issue, bring in a new perspective, prevent a mistake, and turn disagreement into problem solving. For leaders, questions can be one of the most useful tools in the toolbox.
Know What Kind of Question You Need
Closed questions are useful when you need a specific answer, confirmation, or commitment: “Did the steel arrive?” “Is the inspection scheduled?” “Can you finish by Friday?” They are efficient, but they usually do not tell you much beyond the answer.
Open questions invite people to explain and think. Instead of asking, “Can you finish by Friday?” try, “What would have to happen for us to finish by Friday?” That might reveal an outstanding approval, an access problem, or a conflict with another trade.
Use closed questions to confirm. Use open questions to explore.
Ask Before You Assume
Questions are especially valuable when something does not quite make sense, people see the situation differently, the same problem keeps returning, or you are about to make an assumption.
Suppose a subcontractor is falling behind. The easy conclusion is, “They need more human resources.” So the team tells them to add workers. Two weeks later, production has not improved.
A better starting point might have been, “What is preventing you from producing at the rate we expected?” The answer may be that another trade is repeatedly blocking access to the work area. Suddenly the problem is not resources at all. It is sequencing.
The first approach assumed the answer. The second discovered the problem.
Questions Can Prevent Expensive Mistakes
Imagine a drawing appears to show one thing, but the field condition looks slightly different. Someone says, “Install it according to the drawing.”
Or someone asks, “Before we install this, does anyone see a reason this detail will not work with the existing condition?”
That question may surface a clearance conflict that otherwise would not become obvious until another system is installed.
Ten minutes of conversation today can prevent demolition, rework, delay, and a spirited future discussion about who gets to pay for it.
Questions are cheap. Rework is not.
Sometimes the Most Important Question Is the Uncomfortable One
Not every project problem is technical. Sometimes everyone in the room knows something is wrong, but nobody wants to say it.
That is when a leader might ask, “What are we not talking about that we need to talk about?”
Then wait.
Do not rescue the room from the silence.
Someone may eventually say, “We are getting decisions too late to maintain the schedule.” Now the team has something real to work on.
Good questions create permission for people to raise issues before those issues become crises.
Ask the Question—Then Actually Listen
The question itself is only half the job. You also have to listen to the answer. That means resisting the urge to prepare your response while the other person is talking. Let them finish. If the answer surprises you, get curious rather than corrective. Try, “Tell me more about that.”
You can also check your understanding: “So the problem is not manpower—it is access. Do I have that right?”
Most importantly, be willing to let the answer change your thinking. Otherwise, it was not really a question. It was a speech with a question mark at the end.
Leaders Do Not Have to Have Every Answer
Leaders are often promoted because they are good problem solvers. That can create a trap: believing leadership means always providing the solution.
Sometimes the stronger leadership move is simply to ask, “What do you recommend?”
That question communicates trust and creates ownership. It also develops people. If a leader answers every question, the team becomes very good at bringing problems to the leader. If the leader asks good questions, the team becomes better at solving problems themselves.
Other useful leadership questions include: “What are the risks?” “What alternatives have we considered?” “Who will this affect?” and “What information are we missing?”
Watch Your Tone
A question is not automatically collaborative just because it ends with a question mark.
“Why did you do that?” can easily sound like, “Please explain your incompetence.”
Compare that with, “Walk me through what happened.”
The second question is much more likely to produce useful information. The goal is curiosity, not cross-examination.
Try This at Your Next Project Meeting
Notice when you are about to make a statement and consider whether a question might work better.
Instead of, “This schedule is unrealistic,” ask, “What assumptions are driving these dates?”
Instead of, “The designer needs to respond faster,” ask, “What is preventing us from getting decisions when the field needs them?”
Instead of, “We already tried that,” ask, “What is different about this approach?”
And at the end of the meeting, try one final question:
“Is there anything we should be talking about that we have not talked about?”
Then wait.
Every once in a while, someone will say, “Actually…”
And that actually may save the project a great deal of trouble.
~ Kate
Kate Stewart‘s distinguished career spans 25 years as a professional neutral and organizational development consultant for numerous large organizations. Her expertise includes Partnering facilitation on high-profile projects, such as the Kansas City International Airport mega program. She has served as a coach, trainer, researcher, and thought leader across various industries and disciplines on both domestic and international fronts. Kate is based in the picturesque Paradise Valley, Montana, where she enjoys hiking, gardening, and reading.
For more information, please contact Kate Stewart, katestewart@orgmet.com / (406) 414-9922 (cell) or OrgMetrics RobReaugh@Orgmet.com / (925)449-8300