The Power of "Why?" in Employee Management

Any parents reading this know the experience of your child incessantly asking "Why?"

Why was/is this so exhausting? First, it forces YOU to think and justify your reasoning. Second, it often feels like a trap. Children will keep asking again and again, regardless of your answers because they simply don't yet have the knowledge or experience to fully process and accept them. Eventually, you're left with the inevitable: "Because I said so."

Now let's shift this scenario to the workplace.

Whether it's an employee or a leader asking the question, we can hope that as adults, everyone involved has the capacity to communicate effectively and work through differences.

The Two Types of "Why"

An engaged employee asks "Why?" with the intention of learning or improving operations. A disgruntled employee often asks to vent or to pick a fight, not because they genuinely want answers or to be part of a solution that helps the team or Brand.

Either way, both employees will grow increasingly frustrated if met with "Because I said so" or its corporate equivalent: "That's just the policy."

To tell which type of question you're getting, respond by asking: "Why are you interested in this?"

This simple question invites the employee to engage at a higher level and clarify their purpose. Once you understand their intention, you can frame your response more effectively, improving the odds of mutual understanding and efficient resolution.

When Applied to Accountability, "Why?" Becomes Even More Powerful

When a leader encounters unexpected behavior, the instinct is often emotional: frustration, followed by a rush toward documentation and discipline. Too often, this happens without ever taking the critical step of asking the "Why" for yourself... "Why did the employee choose to do it that way?"

This may be controversial, but sometimes employees have a valid reason for going off script and against known company policy.

When leaders react instead of respond with intention, they risk alienating not only the already disgruntled employees acting badly, but potentially turning a good employee into one as well.

The Ultimate Power of “Why?”

Leaders asking “Why?” with confidence not only reduce the time it takes to get to the truth of a situation but also maintain control of it. It allows you to pivot not just from reaction to response when needed, but also from disciplinary action to training opportunity, or even acceptance/rewarding for an employee finding a better way to represent the Brand!

Before you as a leader REACT to any situation, ask "Why?" for yourself. You might be surprised by what you learn.

As always, I hope this helps!