How Often Do You Ask This Cringe Question?

… plus 21 alternatives

Hi there,

What do you do?

A cringe question that gets asked FAR too often. 

Today’s supercharge is courtesy of guest Jessica Wan. 

Jessica is a leadership and executive coach. For high-achieving professionals facing growth challenges, Jessica’s leadership and coaching services stand out as a fresh perspective rooted in real-world experience. She provides strategic guidance and practical solutions, a unique offering that not only propels her clients’ careers forward but also builds their capacity for significant leadership roles. Connect with her on LinkedIn here

⚡ Supercharge of the Week

Jessica Wan recommends building authentic relationships through unique, open-ended questions.

Dedicating time to authentic relationship-building can increase your own and your colleagues’ sense of belonging. In turn, this sense of belonging can increase job performance by 56%... plus up to a 167% increase in employer net promoter score (NPS)! 

So next time you’re getting to know a new colleague or diving into your 15-minute, monthly relationship-building conversations, check out this list of 21 alternative questions from Jessica. 

Lead with curiosity, instead of… so what do you do?

21 Alternative Questions

 1. What brings you joy?

 2. What are you excited about?

 3. What do you love to do?

 4. What rabbit hole have you gone down recently?

 5. What’s keeping you busy?

 6. What do you do for fun?

 7. What’s your energy going towards?

 8. What has this last year looked like?

 9. What’s taking up your time?

10. What does a typical day look like for you?

11. What makes you you?

12. What’s 2024’s theme so far for you?

13. What lights you up?

14. What were you like as a kid?

15. Where did you grow up?

16. Where’s your favorite place in the world?

17. Where’s your next travel destination?

18. Where have you called home?

19. How did you get your name?

20. What’s most important to you in life?

21. What’s an ideal day look like for you?

P.S. These questions work just as well in your personal lives! Try testing them out with your family, friends, or at your next social event.

Interested in learning more from Jessica? Check out her website here!

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