Did you ever play the game “20 Questions” as a kid? Maybe your mom liked to ask you questions such as “Where were you?” “Who were you with?” “Do you know what time it is?” Most of us don’t like to be hammered with questions - but we do like to give our opinions. Great leaders understand that about people, and work to find ways to ask questions that invite input and stimulate dialog. When it comes to safety, leaders can use questions to gain significant insight into the state of the organization.

No Such Thing as a Dumb Question
No questions are dumb; some are just better than others. Creating questions to gain understanding about your organization requires both art and science. They should be open-ended, not lead to a specific answer, encourage the participant to answer honestly and openly, and be directed toward a topic yet not so specific as to allow only a one- or two-word answer (i.e., Yes, No, Not much, Don’t know, etc.).

It’s important to develop your ability to ask follow-up questions, too. If you’ve ever watched a TV lawyer (or a real one, for that matter) you’ve seen this technique in action. The attorney will ask the witness a question, wait for an answer, then follow up with a question: “Then what happened?” You can also learn this technique by watching great talk show interviewers such as Larry King or Oprah Winfrey. They’ve made their careers on their ability to ask great questions.

Make a List and Check It Twice
Have you ever realized that it was a good idea to ask questions, but you just can’t think of any – especially open-ended ones? You’re not alone. It happens to all of us. One technique that works is to make a list of open-ended questions and continually add to it. Keep your list in your daily planner and refer to it frequently. Assess your questions frequently to see if you can improve them.

Here is a list of 20 questions to get you started.
1. How safe do you feel doing your job?
2. What do you hear employees say about safety in our company?
3. What is the last safety training course you attended?
4. What do you like best about the safety meetings in your department?
5. What do you expect of me when it comes to safety?
6. What safety policy or rule is the most aggravating to you and why?
7. What is a hazard that you face when doing your job that you think I don’t know about?
8. How are you personally involved in our safety process?
9. What are your safety goals for this year?
10. How do you like to learn about safety incidents?
11. What did you do in the last job briefing?
12. Who is responsible for safety here?
13. What happens when you have a safety concern?
14. How does the company demonstrate that it cares about your personal safety?
15. What else could the company do to show you that we care about safety?
16. When an injury occurs how do employees react in your group?
17. How were you trained to do your job safely?
18. How do you learn about hazards that affect your work?
19. How do you know if you are working safely?
20. If you could change one thing about our safety process, what would it be?

What questions can you add to the list?

Listening Keeps Those Answers Coming
The most important part of the question process is the answer you hear, so take time to listen. You’ll be amazed at what happens when people know you care enough to ask them a question and then take the time to really listen to them. By asking open-ended questions and practicing a good active listening technique, you can energize your organization’s safety process - and you’ll have a significant influence on your organization’s safety.

© 2008 Potter and Associates, International, Inc.

Carl Potter, CSP, CMC, and Deb Potter, PhD, CMC, work with organizations that want to create an environment where nobody gets hurt. As advocates of a zero-injury workplace, they are safety speakers, authors, and consultants to industry. For information about their programs and products, visit www.potterandassociates.com or contact them at Potter and Associates International, Inc., 800.259.6209, email carl@potterandassociates.com.