The Magic of High-Quality Questions
A Recipe for Success in Business, in Relationships, in Life
by
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The Range of Possibilities I have this salesman who drives me nuts. He’ll do fine for a month or so, then he starts coming in late and not keeping up with quotas. He’s full of excuses. I’ve tried everything I know, but I can’t seem to get the problem solved.” “Tell me exactly what it is that you’ve tried.” “I’m very firm with him and demand to know why he’s late!” “So you’re asking this salesman why he’s late, is that correct?” “Exactly.” “Is that what you really want to know? Are you that interested in why he’s late? Is it your mission to know why he’s late? Will that answer or solve the problem?” Ron stared out the window for a moment watching the cold wind rip the last of the leaves off the trees in the park. “I guess I thought it would, but all I ever hear are more excuses. Or he just ducks his head and says he’ll try to do better.” “Think about your intention when you ask the question, Why were you late? What is your state of mind when you ask?” “I’m angry; I’m frustrated; I’m fed up and I want him to know it.” Ron had to laugh. “I guess that puts him on the defensive doesn’t it?” “It does,” Sol answered, “and if your intention is to make him feel bad, or remorseful, then you are disempowering that individual.” “I never thought of it like that. Disempower. That isn’t moving toward a good solution.” “You admit you are in a state of agitation. When you ask a question in a state of being upset, your question is sure to reflect that. In other words, you’re using the question to let that person know you are upset.” “You’re right. I do want him to know I’m upset.” “Yet the problem is still goes unsolved, and now you have an employee who even if he has the best excuse in the world for being late, is being demeaned by the accusatory question.” Ron considered this. He could see the wisdom in the point Sol made, but still saw no alternative. Being the tough boss is how he had built his sales team to where it was. He prided himself on not taking any guff from anyone. “So, what would you do?” Sol smiled. “I’m not the sales manager, remember? It’s your team you’re building. Just think about this particular sales person for a moment. There has to be a modicum of success for this individual to even be with your company – or to be on your team. Is that correct?” “I only hire the best,” Ron bragged. “Consider then how you can honor this person’s past successes, honor his assets and be careful not to ignore what value brought him to this point.” Sol paused for a moment while the waitperson refilled his coffee cup, then he went on. “And then consider the range of possibilities open to this person. After being asked an accusatory question, asked while you’re upset, what action steps can this salesman take next?” Ron leaned back in his chair. The light was beginning to dawn – not only outside, but on Ron’s face. “I’ve totally shut down his range of possibilities.” “Wise observation,” Sol said.
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About the Book
Do you find yourself surrounded by difficult or frustrating people or situations? Do you ever feel trapped by limiting situations that seem to simply repeat themselves over and over in different areas of your life? Well, the answers are not far away; as a matter of fact, they can be found within you. You may just need some help in changing your perspective to arrive at better solutions to your own problems. The Magic of High-Quality Questions will help you develop the awareness and habits of effective question-asking. The premise is simple: Ask better questions to arrive at better answers. In this book we explore improving your results in different areas of your life and business by facing your challenges with a fresh and creative perspective.
About the Author
Internationally-respected Wealth Creation Expert and current New York Times’ bestselling author Robert Shemin first became a millionaire at the age of just 32. But he didn’t want to keep all of his wealth-building strategies and financial know-how to himself. He’s taught tens of thousands of Americans the secrets to attracting, growing, and securing lasting wealth through his best-selling books and countless sold-out seminars held to standing-room-only crowds in cities across the United States. Regularly sharing the podium with such financial luminaries as Donald Trump, Robert Kiyosaki, David Bach, Suze Orman and Tony Robbins, Shemin helped create The Learning Annex Wealth Expo and has consistently been voted the “#1 speaker” by crowds of over 50,000 people. Robert Shemin has worked with high-net-worth individuals from Goldman Sachs, helped create four companies, and, as a full-time investor, been involved in over 1,000 real-estate transactions to date totaling nearly 100 million dollars. He is the author of ten bestselling books including, Secrets of A Millionaire Real Estate Investor, Successful Real Estate Investing—How to Avoid the 75 Most Costly Mistakes Every Investor Makes, Secrets of Buying and Selling Real Estate—Without Using Your Own Money, Secrets of a Millionaire Landlord, Unlimited Riches, 40 Days to Success in Real Estate Investing, and his newest release, How Come that Idiot’s Rich and I’m Not?, a current Wall Street Journal and New York Times’ bestseller. Robert’s Shemin Wealth Academy conducts events with a unique delivery of his knowledge and a powerful masterful authority of his work, time and again he receives high accolades from his audiences as one of the most dynamic and compelling speakers of our time. Robert shares all of his secrets for success at these events. An expert on wealth for CNN, Robert Shemin is a frequent guest on national, regional, and local television and radio programs such as National Public Radio (NPR) and CNBC’s "The Big Idea" with Donny Deutsch. He has also been featured in over three hundred newspapers and magazines including BusinessWeek, the Los Angeles Times, the Miami Herald, the New York Post, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, and TIME Magazine among many others. With a heart as big as his bank account, Shemin gives generously to numerous charitable endeavors such as the homeless, those in need of critical eye operations overseas, and at-risk teens and college-age youth in Israel through the formation of a specialized school he founded and successfully operates. As experienced as Shemin is at showing high-net-worth individuals how to get richer, his real love however is helping self-described “financial disasters” earn millions. Robert Shemin holds a law degree and an MBA from Emory University. Hugh Stewart’s education is both diverse and substantial. He has two degrees from the University of Miami; an undergraduate and a graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering. He is also a graduate of the Strategic Coach® program and is currently enrolled in the Strategic Coach® Masters Program. Hugh currently serves as a Major in the United States Air Force Auxiliary with a specialization in cadet programs. Between 1995-2009, he was responsible for training five nationally recognized cadet competition teams. Hugh has a diverse and successful business background; not only is he a Nuclear Fuel Designer, but he has created and operated over seventeen businesses in the past 10 years in industries such as money services, real estate, advertising, insurance consulting, and coaching. Business partnerships are an important aspect to the success of many and Hugh is no exception. He has been involved in nine partnerships – from joint venture, equity sharing to non-profit granting him a deeper understanding of how to create and maintain business relationships that benefit all parties. He now coaches entrepreneurs on how to develop productive and sustainable partnerships. With a practical understanding of creating, operating, and maintaining a business as an entrepreneur and as a business partner, Hugh has acquired the experience and knowledge of what it takes to be successful in business. This knowledge is what he shares with his coaching clients. One of Hugh’s strongest influences was at the age of twenty, when he received some invaluable advice and a copy of a book that started his life in a new direction. The book was Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki. It was the first book he ever read on wealth and wealth creation and made a huge impact on the direction of his life. Hugh was fascinated in how coaches are able to empower people’s thinking, foster incredible communication and create extraordinary value. He realized he had this ability to convey and consult and began his journey to inspire and empower others on how to achieve goals. Hugh currently lives in North Carolina with his wife Diya.