How To Lead By Asking Effective Questions

Presented By:

Margie Hagene

Creating a culture of problem solving is the foundation of a lean enterprise, and a fundamental factor of transformational efforts. As a leader of problem solvers, it’s important you know how to effectively ask questions that create the condition for learning, and support both the technical and social dimensions of solving problems. Putting this and other related lean principles into practice means not only knowing how to question, but understanding the thinking behind your role as a lean leader, which was once summed up by Toyota Chairman Fujio Cho as, “ask why, go see, treat people with respect.”

Learning Objectives

In this workshop participants will learn…

• Recognize why asking questions is an essential skill that supports the lean leader’s role of developing an organization filled with problem solvers
• Describe the value and importance of asking questions effectively
• Practice effective questioning
• Develop a mini personal plan for taking first steps at continuing practice when returning to work

Facilitator Bio:

Margie Hagene is an organizational effectiveness and lean transformation professional. For over thirty years, Margie has helped executives and senior leaders realize their changing roles and responsibilities, and has supported them in developing appropriate behaviors and skills for leading in a complex environment.
For eighteen years, Margie worked as a global internal consultant for Ford Motor Company at all levels within the organization – from team leaders to the COO – in Product Development, Design and Manufacturing.
The past thirteen years, Margie has worked in a variety of leading service and manufacturing industries, including healthcare, K-12 education, distribution, food service, transportation/mobility, and retail. Her work has included university programs in areas of leadership development, lean thinking, and organizational learning. Margie’s ongoing community work focuses on issues of hunger relief and land conservation.
Clients invariably learn to appreciate Margie’s ability to quickly assess leadership qualities, identify issues of misalignment among management, and recognize disconnects between official policy and actual behaviors. She embodies the belief that it is the effective blend of both the social and technical elements in complex systems that determine the sustainable effectiveness of any transformational efforts.
Margie holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Butler University, Indiana (USA), and a Master of Science Degree from Indiana University (USA).