My favorite question

“Stones have no hope of being anything but stones. However, through collaboration they get themselves together and become a temple.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

You’re a confident communicator, so you know the power of questions. Applied skillfully, questions can break the ice, uncover, and even unite.

Great leaders, consultants, and salespeople don’t tell others what to do, but rather, ask questions until the person comes to the desired realization on their own.

Questions also can attract people to you…and make them more interesting.

Here’s a question that can do all this and more.

I use it when meeting new people, when getting to know teammates, and when I want to “get in good” with the boss.

And it’s really simple.

I ask: What are you working on and what do you need?

If someone were to ask you this question, what would it say about them?

It’s powerful because you’re showing interest without committing to anything.

Here’s the secret though.

You have to actually remember what they said so that over time you can connect with them in meaningful ways. Do it often enough, with enough people, and you can even start to make introductions that help others, building goodwill and deepening relationships.