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While helping others on the job, we must balance inquiry and advocacy.
I have seen far too many supply chain professionals hesitating to take help from others, even if it comes willingly and freely. This question has perplexed me for a long time. I have spoken to a lot of them, trying to understand what’s the reason for this hesitation.
The predominant reason that has come out in these conversations is quite revealing. A typical response goes like this… ‘If I approach someone with my problem, they are quick to offer solutions. I often get their solutions before I finish stating the exact problem. It seems they are keen to offer solutions without knowing what the real problem is’.
We frequently encounter ‘lack of empathy’, ‘lack of active listening’ and ‘I know’ attitude when we approach people. How do we correct this behaviour?
It starts with actively listening to the person who has approached us with the problem, without interrupting him (except for clarifications). Once we have finished listening, we may have a few useful approaches to offer in this specific context.
Let’s remember to start with ‘Inquiry’ before moving on to ‘Advocacy’. The sequence and a balance between the two is crucial.
Advocacy without Inquiry is nothing but preaching!