Skin In The Game

Asking the right questions is invaluable, but at some point, the professional needs to have answers.

Here’s a rule I use with my team: You can ask me anything you want, but to get my ideas, you first have to give me yours.

This encourages people to take the initiative to solve problems themselves, builds the muscle of sharing their ideas, and prevents them from using a never-ending barrage of questions as a place to hide.

It’s like the buy-in for a poker game. Bringing your ideas to the table means you have skin in the game.

Initially, your ideas might be off-center. This is to be expected and provides an opportunity for discussion and cultural alignment. Over time your ideas will become more on point, you will feel more empowered, and everyone from guest to owner will enjoy the benefits.

Once you understand enough, it’s time to take action. Your default mode can evolve from “Is this OK?” or “What do you think?” to “Here’s what I intend to do” and finally to “Here’s what I did.”