From Order Taker to a Trusted Advisor
Have you ever felt there are only two options for every request at work, the polite yes or the rude no? And since you don't want to look uncooperative, you really only have one option.?
This was the situation Banks Benitez and his team at Uncharted found themselves in. And it was a significant roadblock for them as they attempted to implement a 4-day work week. Too often, they focused on the pressing issue of the moment instead of what was essential.?
But here's what they learned.
Having the right conversations can change that equation. Instead of expecting every request to be met with a yes, Benitez began encouraging employees to ask second-order questions.
This allowed employees and managers to have honest conversations about what was essential and where their time would be best spent.
This was a breakthrough for the team at Uncharted. Instead of an army of order takers, they became a team of trusted advisors.?
Having the right conversations wasn't the only change they made, but it was a crucial step in their journey to increase productivity without increasing their workload.?(1)
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Ask?Second-Order Questions
Many of us are nervous to tell our boss or an important client no. But you don't have to. Instead, ask a second-order question.?
It only takes one or two questions to create dialogue around what to prioritize.
"If you do not know how to ask the right question, you discover nothing."?
-?W. Edwards Deming
p.s. Want to hear more about Banks Benitez and how he achieved the 4-day work week at Uncharted? Listen to my interview with him?here.?
4X Founder | Business Coach & Mentor | Visionary Rebel | Impact Amplifier | Reinvention Architect | Thinking Partner for Bold Entrepreneurs | XChange Facilitator ??Community & Ai Workshops
2 年Great insights again Greg McKeown Laura Templeton exactly what we’ve been talking about less is more…. this article offers an even better perspective!
Estudante de mecanica
2 年Obrigado pelo contato caso necessário estarei disponível.
Passionate Connector of People and Possibility. Changemaker. Dial Mover. Planet Lover.
2 年Love this! In fact, I have begun to use this approach in work, volunteer, and personal conversations about things that need to be moved forward. And also things that don't or at least not right now.
Agile Coach at Datev eG, Systemic Transformation Consultant
2 年These are indeed very important questions, and we need to practice them often. - I have the experience that even in a culture where others did not dare to often to ask that, I was most of the time successful with this strategy, and even with itroducing it for a unit in general. How? By showing the consequences of not deprioritizing other things.
New Business Development Manager at PBS Sales
2 年Happy to work at a company, where these questions are key. To balance resources, be most efficient, assign tasks according to the best fit of talent and capabilities - that's how we reflect nearly every day and it makes such a difference! Highly recommended!