Humble Inquiry

1. Humble Inquiry: The Art of Asking Instead of Telling

Humble Inquiry is the fine art of drawing someone out, of asking questions to which you do not already know the answer, of building a relationship based on curiosity and interest in the other person.

Building relationships through questions. Humble Inquiry is a powerful tool for creating positive relationships and effective organizations. It involves asking questions out of genuine curiosity and interest in the other person, rather than simply telling or advising. This approach helps to build trust, improve communication, and foster collaboration.

Benefits of Humble Inquiry:

• Encourages open and honest communication
• Builds mutual respect and understanding
• Helps to identify and solve problems more effectively
• Promotes a culture of continuous learning and improvement

By practicing Humble Inquiry, leaders and team members can create an environment where people feel valued, heard, and motivated to contribute their best ideas and efforts.

2. Three Types of Humility: Basic, Optional, and Here-and-Now

Here-and-now Humility is how I feel when I am dependent on you.

Understanding different forms of humility. Schein identifies three types of humility that play a role in interpersonal relationships and organizational dynamics:

1. Basic humility: Respect based on social position or status
2. Optional humility: Respect for those who have achieved more than us
3. Here-and-now humility: Recognizing our dependence on others in specific situations

Here-and-now humility is particularly crucial in complex, interdependent tasks where success relies on effective collaboration. It requires acknowledging our limitations and the value of others' contributions, regardless of formal status or hierarchy. This type of humility is essential for leaders who need to build trust and open communication with their team members.

3. Building Trust Through Vulnerability and Curiosity

Trust builds on my end because I have made myself vulnerable, and the other person has not taken advantage of me nor ignored me.

Vulnerability as a strength. Building trust requires a willingness to be vulnerable and genuinely curious about others. By asking questions and showing interest in others' perspectives, we create opportunities for deeper connections and more effective collaboration.

Key elements of trust-building:

• Demonstrating genuine interest in others
• Asking open-ended questions
• Listening actively and attentively
• Sharing personal experiences and insights
• Acknowledging and valuing others' contributions

As trust grows, team members become more comfortable sharing ideas, concerns, and feedback, leading to improved problem-solving and innovation.

4. The Culture of Do and Tell: Overcoming Task-Oriented Biases

We value task accomplishment over relationship building and either are not aware of this cultural bias or, worse, don't care and don't want to be bothered with it.

Recognizing cultural biases. Many organizations, particularly in Western cultures, prioritize task accomplishment over relationship building. This bias can hinder effective communication and collaboration, especially in complex, interdependent work environments.

Challenges of the Do and Tell culture:

• Emphasis on individual achievement over teamwork
• Resistance to spending time on relationship-building activities
• Difficulty in acknowledging dependence on others
• Tendency to rush to solutions without fully understanding problems

To overcome these biases, leaders and team members must consciously prioritize relationship-building and open communication, recognizing that these elements are crucial for long-term success and innovation.

5. Status, Rank, and Role Boundaries as Inhibitors of Open Communication

Status and prestige are gained by task accomplishment, and once you are above someone else, you are licensed to tell them what to do.

Breaking down hierarchical barriers. Status differences and role boundaries can significantly impede open communication and collaboration within organizations. These barriers often lead to a culture where "telling" is valued over "asking," and where lower-ranking employees feel uncomfortable sharing important information or ideas with their superiors.

Strategies for overcoming status-related barriers:

• Encourage leaders to practice Humble Inquiry with all team members
• Create opportunities for informal interactions across hierarchical levels
• Implement feedback systems that value input from all levels of the organization
• Recognize and reward collaborative behaviors and successful teamwork

By actively working to reduce the impact of status and rank on communication, organizations can foster a more inclusive and innovative culture.

6. Psychological Biases in Perception and Judgment: The ORJI Cycle

We do not passively register information. We select out from the available data what we are capable of registering and classifying, based on our language and culturally learned concepts as well as what we want and need.

Understanding cognitive biases. The ORJI cycle (Observation, Reaction, Judgment, Intervention) highlights how our perceptions and judgments are influenced by psychological biases and cultural conditioning. Recognizing these biases is crucial for improving communication and decision-making.

Components of the ORJI cycle:

• Observation: How we selectively perceive information
• Reaction: Our emotional response to what we observe
• Judgment: How we analyze and interpret information
• Intervention: The actions we take based on our judgments

By becoming aware of this cycle and our own biases, we can practice more mindful communication and decision-making, leading to better outcomes in both personal and professional contexts.

7. Developing the Attitude of Humble Inquiry: Slowing Down and Reflecting

Learning new things is easy when there is no unlearning involved. But if the new learning, the attitude of Humble Inquiry, has to displace some old habits of Telling, two anxieties come into play that have to be managed.

Cultivating a new mindset. Developing the attitude of Humble Inquiry requires conscious effort and practice, especially in cultures that prioritize "telling" over "asking." This process involves unlearning old habits and managing the anxieties that come with change.

Strategies for developing Humble Inquiry:

• Slow down and vary the pace of interactions
• Reflect more and ask yourself Humble Inquiry questions
• Become more mindful of your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
• Engage in creative activities to broaden your perspective
• Review and reflect on your own behavior after important events
• Become sensitive to coordination needs in your work environment

By consistently practicing these strategies, individuals can develop a more inquiring and humble approach to communication and leadership.

8. Creating Cultural Islands for Effective Team Communication

For this kind of relationship building, you need to create a "cultural island," a situation in which you will attempt to suspend some of the cultural rules pertaining to authority and trust relationships.

Fostering open communication. Cultural islands are intentionally created spaces or situations where normal hierarchical and cultural rules are temporarily suspended to promote open communication and relationship-building. These environments are particularly important for diverse teams or when addressing sensitive issues.

Elements of effective cultural islands:

• Informal settings away from the usual work environment
• Clear communication of the purpose and expectations
• Encouragement of open and honest dialogue
• Suspension of typical status-based interactions
• Facilitation techniques that promote equal participation

By creating these special environments, leaders can foster the trust and open communication necessary for high-performing teams, especially in complex and diverse organizational settings.

Last updated: January 24, 2025