Ask Your Team This Question to Get the Best Result From Them
And it doesn’t always come with a command
Ever since I moved my job position, there’s a lot of time I have to work as a team. Not many solo works.
My tasks deal with many visual results, and some of you may have known that the expectation we made in our heads don't usually 100% come out as the result we thought we had.
And what ideas are in other people’s heads also differs from what we had.
In other words, our expectations usually don’t match our reality.
But even so, that doesn’t mean that we can’t improvise it.
Don’t tell people how to do their job
About a few years ago, I stumbled across this meme on Linkedin:
And apparently, it has a lot of agreeable reactions to the post.
Even I agreed on this.
The last thing I want in a stressful moment, lest I need an opinion on it, is someone who doesn’t handle my task to boss me around.
I didn’t really take that to heart, but more of a mental note when I have teamwork. And I’ve learned a long time ago that bossing people around is not going to give any better results.
So over the years, I worked with people, and this message has been really helpful.
Of course, I didn’t directly tell people “not to tell me how to do my job”. That’s how I’ll lose respect for anyone.
I asked this question to them instead:
“What do you think is best for the end result?”
This question is magical.
It’s like immediately after asking that question, something inside us is awakened and immediately took control of the situation rather than just waiting for feedback.
I’ll explain to you why this question is really important.
Let them know that you trust them
When you ask your colleagues this question, you are asking them to share their perspectives on what will give the best result.
It’s silent permission of “yes, you’re free to take charge.” It’s a really freeing moment to be able to do that.
It also shows that you value their opinions and trust their expertise.
When I was working on a video with a couple of creative teams on a project, there were times when the result began to sway away from what we originally wanted.
So there had to be some creative control here.
I didn’t really know what they can and can’t do, so it’s why sometimes the result isn’t what I really expected and kept giving them feedback. But I admit, I think I may have ‘drowned’ them a little as a result (my fault). This was also a sign that I’m relinquishing their control.
I know that at the end of the day, it’s the big boss who will be making the decision and we are to follow their instructions.
But relinquishing control also won’t do the team any good.
As a result, when the next draft was sent, they gave me a different outcome and it swayed away from what we initially had in mind.
When I began to realize that I’m somewhat relinquishing their creative control, I immediately switched the tactic:
“What do you think is best for the end result? I’ll follow your lead.”
When I said this to them, it was like a magic word for them.
They said, “Okay, give me time. I’ll work on it.”
“But you know what I mean, right?”
“Yea, I do. I’ll start working on it.”
And they did.
The next thing I knew, they got me an even better result than what I had in mind.
Knock on the door with open communication
Our whole business is based on giving our artists and designers complete freedom to invent without limits. — Bernard Arnault, 2021.
Of course, you can’t just immediately ask that question out of the gecko. Especially when you’re working with someone new.
You have to knock on the door first for permission, even if you’re the manager.
That’s why the knock on the door is open communication, showing that you’re open to any ideas anyone has.
In my case, after the creative team gave me their first draft and I reviewed it and gave them my feedback, I ended the conversation with:
“If you have any questions, let me know.”
In some cases, they are shy to even speak their mind.
So we are the ones who must approach them (not confront them)
I had a one-on-one session with one of them to clarify what I wanted, and immediately that person told me in better detail what we can or can’t do and how we can resolve that.
That one-on-one conversation we had helped a lot.
We got two ears for a reason
In 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo gave a controversial interview with Piers Morgan about Manchester United that got him sacked from his own club.
He told the public how he was struggling to cope in the club where he grew up, and upon returning, it felt like something was off.
One of the things that he voiced his concerns about is that the coaches weren’t listening to him. About his
Now, there are always two sides to the story when it comes to this kind of thing, so at the moment, I only know what’s happening on Ronaldo’s side. And knowing Ronaldo in public, I believe that he’s a man of his word. He has been showing his moral compass a lot in public, and becoming an inspiration for new coming generations. That’s why I believe him.
Fast forward to today 2023, Manchester United seemed to be struggling.
If what Cristiano is saying is true, then the club has a lot of trust issues in the team, which is unhealthy for any company.
“What do you think?” is permission for a team to go for it
Asking your team what’s best for the result is a big step for everyone.
It’s like giving them the authority to take charge no matter their position. They’ll definitely work better knowing that they are trusted to work on something no matter how big or small the task is.
Each team member brings their own unique perspective and skillset to the table.
And our job as a member of their team is to bring out the best in each and every one of us.
