There was a team that was working on a large implementation for a client. For several weeks, there had been a sense of a drop in motivation and constant irritation. However, everyone kept working, because the time pressure was getting bigger and bigger. Nobody wanted to “waste time” on debriefing meetings, and retrospectives were limited to the routine “Start, Stop, Continue” pattern. Finally, the Scrum Master broke the previous formula at the next retro. She started with a simple question:
“What frustrates you most about this project?”
There was silence. Knowing that this happens, she asked everyone to write an answer on a sticky note and place it on the virtual board. The answers that appeared included: “We change priorities every two days, we don’t know what to focus on.” “I feel like our work is pointless because the client changes everything anyway.” “How are we supposed to do something of good quality if we are constantly improving something and there is no time to take care of the documentation?”
A moment later, the discussion began.
Questions as a tool for influence, not control
As a leader, it is easy to fall into the trap of immediately providing solutions. We are used to the idea that we are supposed to “know the way” and show the direction. But true leadership often begins not with talking – but with listening. And the best way to listen and understand is to ask questions.
A good question is not just a form of curiosity. It is a signal: “Your opinion counts. I want to understand. We are looking for a solution together.”
How to ask questions that engage and motivate the team?
- Start with curiosity – shove your assumptions in a drawer
Instead of:
– Why did you not deliver the sprint again?
Try:
– What made it impossible to complete all the tasks?
Such questions open the way for discussion. Judmental questions – close it. - Avoid questions that suggest an answer
– Don’t you think we should work differently?
This question is actually a suggestion. Instead, it is better to ask:
– What changes in the way you work could make things easier for you? - Ask open-ended questions that invite reflection
– What was the hardest thing for you in the last month?
– What do you lack to act with more confidence?
– When do you work best?
Questions in feedback – an invitation to a conversation instead of a one-way message
Leaders often perceive feedback as a transfer of information: “I’ll tell you what you did well and what you did wrong.” But truly developing feedback is a conversation, not a monologue.
Instead of:
– Your presentations are too long and unclear.
Try:
– How do you evaluate your last presentation? What worked and what needs improvement?
Instead of:
– You need to be more engaged in meetings.
Ask:
– What makes you talk less in meetings? What would help you become more active?
Well-asked questions in feedback:
- engage the other person in self-reflection,
- show respect and trust in their perspective,
- increase the likelihood of change – because it comes from internal understanding, not external coercion.
Questions that help diagnose the cause of the problem
Teams rarely come with a ready answer to the question: “Why isn’t this working?”
A leader who can “think in questions” can become a catalyst for change. Example approach:
- What is happening? (diagnosis of the situation)
- When did it start? What changed? (finding a breakthrough moment)
- Who is affected? (scope of impact)
- What have you already tried? What worked and what didn’t work?
- What else can we do?
Such questions not only help get to the heart of the problem – they teach the team to think cause-and-effect and take responsibility.
Let’s get back to our team
The Scrum Master did not fix the project with one conversation. But since that meeting, the team has started to sit down together and talk regularly. The broken routine and the right questions have resulted in a return of energy within two months, and their own ideas for improvements have emerged. This is all because neither the Scrum Master nor the Product Owner started with a lecture, showing their irritation or trying to solve the problem themselves, but with questions to the team and listening carefully.
And you? What question could you ask your team today – not to hear a specific answer, but to really hear them?
