Productivity Questions

The transcription discusses the importance of asking effective questions to improve productivity. It suggests using the formula of "What" questions to prompt individuals to think about how they can successfully follow through and finish projects on time. It also recommends asking about perceived barriers and strategies to overcome them. The transcription emphasizes the need for proactive thinking and action to increase productivity. It advises against asking "Why" questions after missed deadlines and instead encourages preemptive questioning for better results. Again, assuming that we're going to use two attributes that we made up, successfully following through and always finishing projects on time, as an attribute of providing these lessons as it relates to this topic, productivity. Again the questions, I always give people this simple formula, and you can ask much more in-depth questions, yet when I think about questions about following through on time, finishing your project on time, just simply put the word, what, and then a word such as successfully in front of it. What are you going to do to successfully follow through? What are you going to do to successfully position yourself to follow through? What are you going to do to finish this project on time successfully? What are some of the things you're going to do to facilitate successful follow through? And what are some perceived barriers where I might be able to help you? Always put the word, what, in front of them. Now let's say you're coaching somebody who tends to be maybe very reactive. Maybe they procrastinate, they let things go to the last minute. We typically would say, well, now don't let it go to the last minute. Insert, and again we use an opposite insertion question, insert the desired behavior. What are you going to do to get ahead on this project so you successfully follow through and finish it on time? What you're doing is you're playing with words. What are you going to do to proactively start this project early so you can finish and follow through successfully on time? You get the idea? So when you're asking questions, typically ask what questions? I would also ask questions on the opposite side. What are some perceived barriers as it relates to this productivity, as it relates to follow through and finishing on time that you're anticipating, and what are you going to do to successfully overcome them? See, what a lot of times happens with productivity, barriers come up. They haven't positioned themselves mentally to handle them. The questions preempt that. The questions position them to think proactively, and then you position them to take action to overcome them. Remember what questions, opposite insertion questions, rating questions on a scale of one to six. Six, you're going to follow through. You're going to complete this on time without any hesitation, or one, you're a little bit nervous and you have some apprehensions. Now you want to be careful with those questions because you don't want to invite the objections of not finishing on time. If somebody says, well, I'm about a three or four, I'm really worried about that other department getting back to me. Awesome. Anything else? No. Great. What I'm going to do is I'm going to assist you in that, and that will position people to be in the best frame of mind to move in that direction. So remember what questions. I always think when we really make a mistake with productivity is we ask the why questions after the deadlines have been missed. Why didn't you finish on time? I'm not saying that's not a good question, yet the preemptive questions beforehand position you to have much more success as it relates to productivity.