The Role of Questions in Negotiation

STOP asking overused questions like... “What’s the culture like here?” You already know the answer. It’s vague. It’s rehearsed. It tells you nothing. Culture is NOT a mission statement. It’s how people behave when no one's watching. Ask the questions that make people pause and actually reflect. The ones that reveal what it’s really like to work there. Try these INSTEAD: 1. "What kind of behaviour gets rewarded here — and what quietly gets people sidelined?" 2. "When was the last time someone challenged leadership here — and how did that go?" 3. "If I asked someone who left recently why they did, what would they say?" 4. "What’s something people complain about internally but leadership hasn’t addressed yet?" 5. "What’s one thing you’d change about the culture — if you had a magic wand?" 6. "Tell me about a time someone failed here — how did the team respond?" 7. "How do decisions really get made around here — in meetings, or behind the scenes?" 8. "Can you name someone who’s truly thriving here — and why?" 9. "Who tends to leave, and what pattern do you see in their reasons?" 10. "How does the organisation unlearn things that no longer serve it?" 11. "How safe is it to say “I don’t know” or “I need help” around here?" 12. "What’s the biggest tension the leadership team is wrestling with right now?" 13. "Tell me a story that would never make it into your recruitment brochure. 14. "What’s an unwritten rule here that newcomers usually discover the hard way?" 15 "If the company disappeared tomorrow, what would your employees actually miss?" Bonus question: “What story best illustrates who you really are as a company?” Don’t just listen to answers. Watch how people react to the questions. And if these questions make your interviewer uncomfortable? You’ve learned a lot right there. Your interview experience is culture in action. Were they transparent? Did they show respect for your time and energy? Did they challenge you — and welcome being challenged? Culture is not what they say. It’s what they do. Especially when you’re not yet one of them. Do the work. Ask better questions. Reshare to help others raise the bar too. ♻ #culturematters #hiring #aviation

Most leaders get this wrong daily, and they don't even realize it. They're not asking enough questions. 8 years ago, when I took a career break. A conversation with a mentor and coach changed my trajectory. I decided to get myself certified as a coach as part of my leadership development. When I went back to work, it changed the way I lead. My team then was used to being told what to do. My questions initially irritated them. It took me two months to shift their mindset. They began to take more ownership of their work. Great ideas came from them (not me). And I saw a more engaged team. Fast forward, I am now a leadership and team coach, working with organisations to help their leaders build better team engagement. Because I know what it takes. Here. I have put together 10 types of coaching questions leaders use to improve team engagement. Feel free to download it. 1️⃣ Open- Ended Questions ↳ Encourage expansive thinking and prevent "yes" or "no" answers Example: What are some approaches you think we could take to achieve this goal? 2️⃣ Clarifying Questions ↳Ensure understanding and encourage deeper exploration. Example: When you say the timeline is tight, what specific challenges are you anticipating? 3️⃣ Reflective Questions ↳Help the team member assess their own thoughts or actions. Example: How do you think your approach impacted the team's outcomes? 4️⃣ Empowering Questions Build confidence and ownership of decisions. Example: What resources or support would help you feel confident moving forward? 5️⃣ Goal Oriented Questions ↳Focus on objectives and desired outcomes. Example: What would success look like for you in this role? 6️⃣ Challenge Questions ↳Push boundaries and encourage innovative thinking. Example: What if we approached this problem from an entirely different angle? 7️⃣ Feedback Oriented Questions ↳Invite constructive input and foster two-way communication. Example: What’s one thing I could do differently to better support you and the team? 8️⃣ Future-Focused Questions ↳ Encourage forward-thinking and vision-setting. Example: Where do you see this project or our team a year from now? 9️⃣ Performance-Based Questions ↳Evaluate current work and identify areas for improvement or celebration. Example: What do you think went well in your last project, and what could have been improved? 🔟 Solutions-Focused Questions ↳Guide team members toward actionable steps and creative solution Example: What options do you see for addressing this challenge? ♻️ Share this if you found this useful. Follow Adeline Tiah 謝善嫻 for content on leadership, future of work and Life 2.0.

How to make a REALLY convincing new business case. Stop pitching ideas. Start winning management buy-in. Most business cases fail because they are presentations… not persuasion. After years of innovation practice, I’ve learned this: a convincing business case answers 7 brutally simple questions: 1. What is the customer friction? No pain = no urgency. 2. What is your new concept? Be concrete. No buzzwords. 3. Why is it unique? If competitors can say the same, it’s weak. 4. Is it feasible? Show you can actually build it. 5. What’s in it for us in 3 years? Numbers matter. Always. 6. Why now? Timing kills or creates success. 7. What decision do you want? Be explicit. No vague endings. 👉 If you can’t answer these clearly, don’t present yet. Innovation is not about having ideas. It’s about getting a YES. #innovation #businesscase #strategy #entrepreneurship #decisionmaking #corporateinnovation

Everyone says people are their organisation's greatest asset. Until budget discussions start. If I were building the business case for a people initiative today, these are the 7 things I'd focus on first. 1. Begin with the business problem, not the HR solution Most leaders aren't looking to buy “leadership development”. Or wellbeing programmes. Or culture initiatives. They're trying to solve organisational problems. · Retention. · Performance. · Productivity. · Customer experience. · Growth. The stronger the connection to a business challenge, the stronger the case becomes. 2. Understand what the organisation is already paying for: ·  High turnover. ·  Burnout. ·  Poor management. ·  Skills gaps. ·  Absence. ·  Delayed decisions. Every organisation is already paying a price somewhere. The question is whether they're measuring it. 3. Translate people data into business language HR metrics matter. But business leaders often want to know: • What is this costing us? • What risk does it reduce? • What opportunity does it create? • What happens if we do nothing? The more commercial the conversation, the more influence HR earns. 4. Focus on outcomes, not activity It's easy to describe what a programme will do. It's harder to explain what will be different afterwards. I'd want to be clear on: 💠 What do we expect leaders, managers or teams to do differently? 💠 How will we know it's working? 💠 What business impact should follow? 5. Build the case with evidence, not assumptions Good intentions rarely secure investment. Evidence does. 1.  That might be internal data. 2.  External research. 3.  Employee feedback. 4.  Customer insight. The strongest business cases bring all four together. 6. Find advocates before you need approval The best business cases are rarely won in the final meeting. They're built through conversations beforehand. I'd want leaders across the organisation to understand: • The challenge • The risk • The opportunity • Why it matters now Support is easier to secure when people already see the need. 7. Make the cost of inaction visible This is often the missing piece. Most organisations carefully calculate the investment required. Far fewer calculate the cost of standing still. Sometimes doing nothing is the most expensive option of all. Because the strongest business cases aren't really about securing budget. They're about helping organisations make better decisions about their future. I've summarised the approach into a simple one-page framework that you can use, share with colleagues, or revisit when you're preparing your next people investment proposal.

9 interview questions can decide your career Especially in an AI-enabled job market. These questions reveal how you think, how you explain impact, and whether you understand the work. After 1000+ hires, This is what I tell (and ask) serious candidates. 1/ Walk me through your background • Do not recite your resume. • Use: Now → Then → Why this role • Make the first 90 seconds count. 2/ What is your biggest achievement? • Pick one that fits the role. • Show the "Business" problem • Your role • Measurable impact • What changed after 3/ Why this role, why now? • Show intent. • Not desperation. • Connect your skills to their timing, market, growth, tech & need. 4/ Tell me about a project that failed • Do not hide the failure. • Show what broke • What you owned • What changed • What the system learned 5/ How do you handle conflict? • Do not say, “I am collaborative.” • Show how you discern and process: • Facts • Assumptions • Emotions • Decision rights 6/ What environment helps you do your best work? • Do not over-optimize for comfort. • Show where you perform well, • how you adapt, • how you create value in changing conditions. 7/ Where do you see yourself in 3 years? • Do not give a fantasy answer. • Show direction. • Exhibit healthy ambition. • Review your learning plan. • And how your growth helps the company. 8/ What questions do you have? • This is where strong candidates separate. • Ask about: • Priorities • Risks • Success measures • Team dynamics • AI or tech-enabled change • What must improve 9/ Why should we hire you? • Do not beg. • Close the loop. • Connect their need to • Your evidence • Your judgment • Your unique contribution Interview success comes down to: • Real examples beat opinions • Numbers beat claims • Ownership beats polish • Systems beat hero stories • Preparation beats performance In an AI-enabled market, technical awareness matters. But human judgment still separates the best from the average. The strongest candidates do not just answer. They show how they think. That is what hiring leaders remember. Which interview questions do you find hardest? 📩 Leaders working on Personal Growth and Transformation - save this. 📬 Subscribe to BRIDGE: https://lnkd.in/gCdavukQ ♻️ Repost to help high-performance seeking leaders ➕ Follow Adi Agrawal | Bridge the Gap