Humble Inquiry: Summary Review
This is a summary review of Humble Inquiry containing key details about the book.
What is Humble Inquiry About?
"Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling" by Edgar H. Schein argues that asking questions instead of making assumptions or giving advice is a powerful tool for building relationships and improving communication, and provides a framework for "humble inquiry," a style of communication that prioritizes listening, empathy, and humility.
Communication is essential in a healthy organization. But all too often when we interact with people—especially those who report to us—we simply tell them what we think they need to know. This shuts them down. To generate bold new ideas, to avoid disastrous mistakes, to develop agility and flexibility, we need to practice Humble Inquiry.
Summary Points & Takeaways from Humble Inquiry
Some key summary points and takeaways from the book include:
* Focus on the other person: Focus on the other person, their perspectives, and their needs, when asking questions.
* Ask open-ended questions: Ask open-ended questions, rather than closed or leading questions, to encourage dialogue and exploration.
* Avoid assumptions: Avoid making assumptions about the other person and their experiences, and ask questions to gain a deeper understanding.
* Listen actively: Listen actively and show genuine interest in the other person's responses, to build trust and rapport.
* Be humble: Be humble and approach the interaction with a non-judgmental attitude, to create a safe and supportive environment.
* Avoid pushing your agenda: Avoid pushing your own agenda or trying to direct the conversation, and instead focus on exploring the other person's thoughts and experiences.
* Seek to understand: Seek to understand the other person's perspectives, motivations, and experiences, to build a deeper connection and resolve conflicts.
* Practice regularly: Practice humble inquiry regularly, to build skills and develop a habit of asking questions in communication and relationships.
* The book provides a framework for practicing humble inquiry in communication and relationships, and offers insights into how this approach can improve understanding, build trust, and resolve conflicts.
Who is the author of Humble Inquiry?
Edgar Henry Schein is a former professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He has made a notable mark on the field of organizational development in many areas, including career development, group process consultation, and organizational culture.
Humble Inquiry Summary Notes
Communication is the Key to Building Successful Teams
Successful teams are built on the foundation of strong communication skills among team members. Without open and honest communication, even the most talented individuals may fail to work together effectively. This is true not just in sports teams, but also in businesses where communication barriers often exist between managers and employees.
Many employees fear voicing their concerns and opinions to their superiors, leading to a lack of critical feedback and potential problems being ignored. This lack of communication can have dire consequences, as evidenced by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill caused by a communication breakdown within the company.
To build successful teams, business leaders must create an environment where employees feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and ideas, even if they are critical. This can be achieved by nurturing a culture of humble inquiry, where leaders seek to understand their employees' perspectives and encourage open dialogue.
Creating such a culture requires effort and a willingness to listen and learn from others. Leaders must be willing to put aside their own assumptions and biases and approach their employees with a sense of humility and openness. They must also be willing to act on the feedback they receive, showing their employees that their opinions are valued and respected.
Building Strong Teams with Humble Inquiry
The key to building a successful team lies in asking the right questions that show trust, respect, and inclusivity towards others. This is the concept of humble inquiry, which involves asking questions in a way that demonstrates that you value the perspectives and decisions of your colleagues.
In the scenario presented, the head of the department failed to utilize humble inquiry when instructing a colleague during a relay race, resulting in a mishap that could have been avoided had they asked for their colleague's input. As a boss, it's important to remember that employees may feel intimidated and hesitant to disagree with you, and thus it's crucial to use humble inquiry to build trust and respect within the team.
Humble inquiry is more than just a questioning technique; it's an attitude that involves being open to learning from others and acknowledging their contributions. This attitude can be applied in various scenarios, such as in the case of the chair of the department who needed to address the issue of high phone bills. By sending the list of calls to each professor and asking for their input on how to resolve the issue, the chair demonstrated trust in and dependency on the team, ultimately leading to a successful outcome.
The Importance of Humble Inquiry and Diagnostic Inquiry in Communication
Effective communication is an essential skill that requires more than just knowing what to say. How you say something and how you ask questions are equally crucial in building strong relationships, both personally and professionally. This is where the concept of humble inquiry comes into play. Humble inquiry involves asking questions that show respect and curiosity towards the other person, thereby building trust and strengthening relationships.
Humble inquiry takes on many different forms, depending on the situation and how quickly you need an answer. While some questions require a direct approach, others need a more gentle touch. The key is to use humble inquiry to show that you truly want to know what the other person is thinking, and to make sure that they feel heard and valued.
One way to practice humble inquiry is by adopting a diagnostic inquiry approach. Diagnostic inquiry is a way of asking questions that are directly relevant to the point under discussion. It helps you to dig deeper and steer the conversation in a direction that interests you. However, it is essential to make sure that the person you are questioning does not feel offended by your queries and feels that their input is valued.
The importance of humble and diagnostic inquiry can be seen in the example of Ken Olsen, the founder of Digital Equipment Corporation, who would frequently ask his employees what they were working on. This simple question not only helped him to build relationships with his staff, but it also gave him a better understanding of his company and its operations.
Navigating Conversations with Humble Inquiry
In this book excerpt, the concept of humble inquiry is explored in depth and divided into different types of inquiry depending on the goal of the conversation. One of the main themes is that by using humble inquiry, one can steer conversations in a certain direction, evaluate their quality, and maintain a humble and respectful attitude towards the conversation partner.
The excerpt highlights three types of inquiry: diagnostic inquiry, confrontational inquiry, and process-oriented inquiry. Each type is described with examples to illustrate how they can be used in different situations.
The author emphasizes that no matter what type of inquiry is used, it is essential to maintain a humble and respectful attitude towards the conversation partner. It is crucial to ensure that the person being questioned feels valued and not offended. Additionally, the author suggests that before using confrontational inquiry, it is essential to identify one's own motives to ensure that the conversation is not being used as a way to test assumptions.
Finally, the excerpt emphasizes that process-oriented inquiry focuses on the relationship between the two parties in the conversation, ensuring that everyone's expectations are met, and neither party feels stressed.
The Importance of Communication in the Workplace
In today's fast-paced work environment, people are often more focused on getting things done than on fostering good communication. This culture of task accomplishment, known as do-and-tell, can pose a significant barrier to effective communication within a team. The emphasis on completing tasks and earning promotions based on task completion creates a hierarchy where those at the top feel entitled to dictate tasks to those below them.
This approach promotes telling over asking, and asking questions is often seen as a sign of weakness or incompetence. This attitude can stifle open communication and hinder the ability of team members to work together effectively. Additionally, the culture of do-and-tell can foster disrespect towards those who are subordinate to them.
In contrast, the approach of humble inquiry focuses on asking questions and showing a genuine interest in others' opinions and experiences. Humble inquiry can help to break down the barriers to effective communication and foster a culture of mutual respect and understanding.
Effective communication is essential in the workplace, and the do-and-tell culture only serves to hinder it. By promoting humble inquiry, managers and team members can create an environment where open communication is encouraged and respected. This approach can lead to improved relationships, increased productivity, and a more positive work environment.
Status and Rank: Barriers to Humble Inquiry in Business
Our obsession with status and rank can prevent us from engaging in humble inquiry, according to the book "Humble Inquiry." In today's culture, we place a significant importance on social status and rank, leading us to categorize people and prevent us from forming fruitful relationships. Our attitudes towards people change based on their perceived status, and this impacts how and whether we engage in humble inquiry. This behavior is evident in organizations that follow a do-and-tell culture where those in charge exhibit less respect for those below them.
In such organizations, humility is shown only to those with control or higher status. This mindset prevents the formation of healthy relationships, and it impacts communication within the team. When people believe they hold a higher status than others, they are less likely to engage in humble inquiry. In contrast, when they feel that others have higher status, they show respect and ask more humble questions.
Rank and status play an important role in organizations, and it is crucial to recognize the impact they can have on communication and relationships. As individuals, we need to overcome our biases and focus on building relationships based on mutual respect and understanding. By doing so, we can create a culture that values asking questions and fosters open communication, leading to improved teamwork and better outcomes.
The importance of mindset in humble inquiry
Another point is that having the right mindset can greatly improve our ability to communicate and make humble inquiry easier. One of the main obstacles to humble inquiry is our tendency to be influenced by social status and personal bias. This can hinder our ability to form relationships and communicate effectively.
To overcome this obstacle, it is important to intentionally open up to others by revealing something personal about ourselves. This creates a safe environment where others can do the same, ultimately leading to stronger and healthier relationships. Additionally, we must learn to approach situations with a more objective stance rather than letting personal bias cloud our judgment.
An example of this is illustrated by the author's student who became angry with his daughter for interrupting him while he was studying. In reality, his daughter was sent by his wife to say goodnight and offer him some coffee. If the student had approached the situation with more humility and asked his daughter what she needed, he could have avoided becoming angry and scaring her.
Book Details
- Print length: 144 pages
- Genre: Business, Leadership, Nonfiction
Humble Inquiry Chapters
Chapter 1 :To Boldly Tell or Humbly Inquire
Chapter 2:The Humble Inquiry Attitude
Chapter 3:How Is Humble Inquiry Different?
Chapter 4:The Culture of Do and Tell
Chapter 5:Cultural Do's and Don'ts of Conversation
Chapter 6:What Really Goes On in a Conversation
Chapter 7:What Goes On inside Your Head?
Chapter 8:Developing the Attitude of Humble Inquiry
What is a good quote from Humble Inquiry?
Top Quote: “we do not think and talk about what we see; we see what we are able to think and talk about.” (Meaning) - Humble Inquiry Quotes, Edgar H. Schein
What do critics say?
Here's what one of the prominent reviewers had to say about the book: “Quiet wisdom from an expert, enlivened by personal examples. Insightful and easy to read, it made me look again at my own behavior in my relationships, both at work and in the home.” — Charles Handy
* The editor of this summary review made every effort to maintain information accuracy, including any published quotes, chapters, or takeaways. If you're interested in enhancing your personal growth, I suggest checking out my list of favorite self-development books. These books have been instrumental in my own personal development and I'm confident they can help you too.
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
