Peter Drucker once said, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” But how do you help someone prepare for a future that’s being invented for him or her?
Leaders like you mentor others to make it easier for them to increase their capacity to get things done efficiently and effectively. Too often, this coaching happens too late—after something has gone wrong.
Great mentors and managers help people connect dots. Your job is to ask questions to help them. But what do you ask? Here are two questions that guide others to connect their work with the company’s priorities:
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“What do I want to be known for?”
- “Who do I know who I can talk with about that?”
Question #1 is the “Legacy” question. People realize they can increase the amount of time and attention they give to their purpose at work. By connecting to what they want to excel at, they see their next stretch goal.
The second question incites action and forces them to review their current community of influencers. The goal is to connect the e-mails they send and the phone calls they make to align with the future they create for themselves.
Your ability to manage complexity is your leadership advantage. Your ability to manage people grows as you ask questions that connect each person’s purpose with the organization’s overall goals.