Four reasons why managers should welcome questions from subordinates

The idea the manager is the one who knows best and gives orders to their subordinates, who then follow these orders without comment, has long been outdated. In most cases a manager should be more of a coordinator of their team's work and welcome questions from subordinates with enthusiasm. Here are four good reasons why.

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This text is based on an article on the Strategy + Business website.

Employees have a voice

If employees are not afraid to open up about certain topics and ask questions - even questions about your decisions - it shows you one important thing: workers know they have a voice and are not afraid to speak up. This is a crucial and very positive thing: it means you are not stifling workers with an authoritarian management style but instead allowing subordinates the space to think and question for themselves.

Critical thinking and innovation

Someone who asks questions and tries to figure out answers or solutions has a positive approach to change. It shows they have critical thinking skills and are thinking about the future. So as a manager, you should be happy if subordinates relativise certain decisions or ask for more information. This indicates they are not just robots who blindly perform tasks, and this is the kind of innovative worker you definitely want in your team.

Increased likelihood of errors being discovered or better practices found

The more pairs of eyes looking at a problem or situation, the more likely it is the team will avoid a mistake or come up with a better solution. More heads are better than just one and, through debate, a team may produce an idea which one person alone would never come up with.

Team bonding

Any constructive communication within a team brings its members together. Questions lead to discussions and discussions serve to prevent problems. Be happy if team members communicate with one another and subordinates are asking you questions. If this practice were suddenly to cease, it might harm relations in the team.

 

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Article source Strategy+Business - a U.S. management magazine
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