THE ONE THING

1. Four Questions That Reveal Exactly What Your Team is Thinking

If you’ve ever asked a team member, “What do you really think about this?” only to be met with blank stares or polite (but unhelpful) feedback, you’re not alone.

Here’s the truth: Your team members probably aren’t sharing what they actually think.

Not because they’re hiding something, but because they haven’t been given the right kind of invitation to open up.

That’s where these four powerful questions can transform the conversation and unlock genuine, insightful feedback:

1. "What would it take for you to love this?" (Encourages positivity and specific suggestions.)

2. "How do you think I can make this better?" (Signals openness and genuine interest in their input.)

3. "What would it take for you to be really excited about this?" (Pushes beyond surface-level thoughts to genuine enthusiasm.)

4. "What would you do differently?" (Empowers honest critique by putting them in a leadership mindset.)

Ask these, and you’ll see conversations shift quickly from surface-level politeness to meaningful insights that actually move the work forward.

INSIGHTFUL THOUGHTS

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PRESENTED BY

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WORDS I LIKE

4. On Teamwork vs. Hierarchy

THE 80/20

5. An 80/20 Tip You Can Apply Today

Here’s a low-effort, high-impact tip you can use with your team today:

• What: Encourage social interactions within your remote team (some leaders avoid this, but it’s important)

• Why: This will help you create a “virtual water cooler” effect to increase likeability and cohesion among your team members (which ultimately results in an increase in productivity)

• Example: Spend the first 5 minutes of your standing meetings discussing topics unrelated to work. One idea is to rotate having a team member share 2 pictures about their loved ones, hobbies, or vacation plans right before the meeting starts.