FOURTH, ASK desire questions in order to elicit an OUTCOME.
Keep asking, listening and acknowledging until you get to an OUTCOME statement.
Statement: I am tired of these silos that get in the way of us implementing this new process.
Ask: And when you’re tired of these silos (ACKNOWLEDGE) , what would you like to have happen instead? (Here, you’re reframing the problem to an OUTCOME)
Statement: I don’t want people being territorial. (THIS IS A PROBLEM STATEMENT)
Ask: And when you’re tired of silos and people being territorial (ACKNOWLEDGE), what would you like to have happen?
Statement: I would love for people to be more collaborative. (OUTCOME STATEMENT)
GREAT.
Now we’ve shifted the ATTENTION from problem to outcome.
But that’s not enough.
Is there anything else about the outcome?
Is there anything else that you want to have happen?
You may find cycling through the process of asking, listening, acknowledging and asking again until you are satisfied there is nothing else.
It doesn’t stop there. You still need to further clarify the outcome. Make sure it is well-defined or well-formed. That will set you up for success. Which leads us to the fifth and final step in clarifying change and begin leading it.