Two Simple Skills to Unlock Greater Performance and Success!

Your Fortnightly Inspiration with Lily Woi

Welcome to your fortnightly dose of inspiration—designed to help you take action and unlock greater performance in your organisation, your team, your career, and most importantly, in yourself. All in just 10 minutes or less!

?? Focus of the Week: The Power of Asking & Listening

Asking Questions and Quality Listening - These are the two most underrated career and leadership tools that many fail to cultivate enough.?

Let's look at it separately.

?? The Power of Asking the Right Questions

We often rush to provide answers, equating solutions with worthiness. But here's the truth: questions, not solutions, create meaningful change.

Questions spark curiosity, unlock creativity, and inspire deeper thinking. By prematurely focusing on answers, we risk closing off bigger opportunities for innovation and collaboration.

Einstein put it best: "If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes determining the proper question to ask… for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes."

? Adopt a culture of inquiry: Use open-ended questions to stimulate dialogue and idea generation. Asking questions increases your success rate because it helps you focus your thinking, better understand the situation, and clarify hidden assumptions that get in the way.?

?? The Power of Quality Listening

Now, let’s talk about listening. Are you truly listening—or just waiting for your turn to speak?

Most of us fall into the latter trap, crafting responses while the other person is mid-sentence. Sometimes, we even interject, assuming we know where the conversation is headed.

This habit, though unintentional, can: ?? Frustrate or disengage the speaker. ?? Diminish the quality of the conversation. ?? Close doors to better ideas or solutions.

Instead, embrace quality listening: ?? Listen with your whole self: Your eyes, ears, body, and mind. ?? Practice silence: Give the speaker space to finish their thoughts. ?? Paraphrase and summarise: Reflect back on what you’ve heard to ensure clarity and connection.

Quality listening doesn’t just expand perspectives—it makes people feel heard and valued.

Now What? Simple Steps to Take Today:

Start building these skills with small, intentional actions:

1?? Dedicate 5 minutes in your next meeting to ask open-ended questions.

2?? Challenge assumptions by asking “Why?” or “How do we know this?”

3?? Pause after someone speaks to absorb their message fully before responding.

4?? Summarise what you’ve heard to confirm your understanding.

Ready to Go Deeper?

I teach these transformative skills in my people leadership training and workshops. Let’s talk about how you can embed them into your leadership style and team culture. Reach out to get started!

Here’s to making decisions that serve your growth!

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Warm regards,

Lily

Lily Woi - People & Culture Catalyst?

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