I just finished reading the book Turn the Ship Around.  I wanted to save some of the questions and ideas from the book for my future reference.

Questions to ask when arriving to a new organization and want to learn about what is happening.
– What are the things you are hoping I don’t change?
– What are the things you secretly hope I do change?
– What are the good things about the organization we should build on?
– If you were me what would you do first?
– Why isn’t the organization doing better?
– What are your personal goals for your time with the organization?
– What impediments do you have to doing your job?
– What will be our biggest challenge to getting the organization ready for _____?
– What are your biggest frustrations about how the organization is currently run?
– What is the best thing I can do for you?

Resisting the urge to provide solutions
○ Emergency situations required snap decision making and clear orders. There’s no time for a big decision. Yet, the vast majority of situations do not require immediate solutions. You have time to let the team chew on it, but we still apply the crisis model of issuing rapid-fire orders.
○ You need to change that cycle. Here are a few ways to try to get your team thinking for themselves.

• If the decision needs to be made urgently, make it, then have the team “red team” the decision and evaluate it.
• If the decision needs to be made reasonably soon, ask for team input, even briefly, then make the decision.
• If the decision can be delayed, then force the team to provide inputs. Do not for the team to come to consensus; that results in whitewashing differences and dissenting votes. Cherish the dissension. If everyone thinks like you, you don’t need them. (page 93)