In the earlier articles in this series, we explored the profound impact that asking great questions can have on your team and how they can support you, as a leader, to transform performance in a neuroscience backed way. Now, we’re excited to introduce a practical tool designed to help you master this essential skill.
Why we created the ASK Toolkit
As leaders, you face complex situations every day – juggling competing priorities to drive results, develop your team, navigate change and foster collaboration. We created the ASK Toolkit because we were observing certain common frustrations holding leaders back and wanted to offer them some practical scaffolding to help them in the moment.
Some of the frustrating scenarios that ASK is designed to help you navigate include:
- Stuck in the loop: circular discussions, flat energy in meetings, hearing the same old stories and the same old ideas
- Disconnection: sensing walls are up, shoulders are tense or conversations feel like walking on eggshells
- Spinning wheels: talking without traction, losing energy, difficulty making decisions
- Foggy and confused: mixed messages, crossed wires, everyone working off different scripts
These situations aren’t just uncomfortable, they are major blocks to creativity, productivity and engagement. We believe that equipping leaders with the ability to ask better questions is the most powerful way to navigate these challenges.
Inside the ASK Toolkit
The ASK Toolkit is designed to be a practical, accessible resource you can turn to in the moments that matter. It includes several key components:
The Instructions Page: Your Quick Start Guide
This page provides a clear overview of the toolkit and how to use it effectively. It gets you up and running fast. It provides the foundational understanding and practical tips needed to start using the toolkit immediately and with confidence. It breaks down:
What’s Inside: Here you’ll find a summary of the toolkit’s components.
Breakdown of Different Questions: We give you an introduction to the various types of questions included in the toolkit, linking back to the categories we’ve discussed in earlier articles (Connect, Understand, Explore, Progress, Learn) and the more specific types of questions within them (like Clarifying, Divergent, Action-Oriented, Reflective, etc.).
Quick Pick Solution: A clear guide to help you quickly identify the right type of question to solve some of the most common situations we know leaders face.
Behavioural Success Markers: We give you practical tips on how to ask questions so they land effectively. It covers setting the stage, managing your own state (“Mind Your Vibe”), mastering delivery, and following through.
The Guide Map: Navigating Your Conversations
The Guide Map is the heart of the toolkit’s decision-making process. It’s designed to help you quickly diagnose your situation and find the most helpful type of question.
How to Use the Guide: You start in the centre by identifying “What is happening?”. With a bit of observation and self-reflection, you’ll be able to
name what is going on and where asking questions can help.
Walk Through Sections: You scan the centre bubbles and match what you’re noticing (e.g., “Stuck in the Loop,” “Reading the Room,” “Spinning Wheels,” “Fog of Confusion,” “Growth Sparks,” “A learning moment has arrived,” “It’s time to move forward”). Trust your instincts here.
Choose Your Path: Follow the colour-coded paths outwards, corresponding to the five main categories: Connect (Orange), Understand (Green), Explore (Yellow), Progress (Pink), and Learn (Purple).
Take Action: Check the more specific indicators within that category and select the specific question type (e.g., within Understand, you might find Clarifying or Unveiling questions are needed). This leads you to the relevant question cards.
By using the Guide Map, you will find increasing clarity on your direction and a specific type of question that is most likely to create positive change in that moment. It helps you cut through complexity and focus your energy effectively.
The Question Cards: Your On-hand Library of Impactful Questions
n your personal library, you’ll find a deck of cards, each featuring specific questions categorised by type (e.g., Clarifying, Divergent, Action-Oriented, Reflective, etc.).
Each card offers a selection of powerful questions designed for a specific purpose, aligned with the Guide Map.
For example, the “Action-Oriented” cards provide questions like “What’s one concrete step you could take now to build momentum?” or “What’s getting in the way right now, and how could we remove or reduce that barrier?”.
The “Reflective” cards might ask “Looking back, what do you wish you’d done differently, and what might you try in your next effort?” or “Which of your values are most reflected in this decision?”.
The cards are designed for you to pick them up, read through the options, and choose the question that resonates most for the situation. This process builds your intuition and confidence over time, helping you internalise the art of asking impactful questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who should buy the ASK Toolkit?
This toolkit is designed for anyone in a leadership or influencing role, particularly middle managers who want to improve their communication, build stronger relationships, facilitate better problem-solving, and drive team performance. If you find yourself struggling with difficult conversations, team dynamics, or getting clarity and buy-in, this toolkit is for you. You don’t have to be at a particular point in your leadership journey, or at any certain level of leadership to benefit from what the toolkit has to offer.
When should I use it?
Use the ASK Toolkit anytime you are preparing for or are in a conversation where the outcome matters. This could be one-on-one check-ins, team meetings, brainstorming sessions, conflict resolution, planning discussions, or performance reviews. The Guide Map helps you pinpoint the right time and context for different types of questions and the comprehensive library of questions offers you exactly what you need at your fingertips. It’s highly compact and can be easily brought along wherever you need to go.
Can I share it with my team?
The ASK Toolkit is designed as a personal development tool for individual leaders. We encourage team members who are also in leadership roles or aspire to be, to get their own toolkit to support their personal growth journey.
What’s the ROI of the ASK Toolkit?
The investment in the ASK Toolkit translates into significant intangible benefits that directly impact tangible results. By asking better questions, you will:
- Reduce time wasted in unproductive meetings and circular discussions.
- Improve decision-making quality by accessing diverse perspectives and clarifying facts.
- Increase team engagement and motivation by making people feel heard and valued.
- Foster a culture of psychological safety and open communication.
- Accelerate problem-solving and innovation.
These factors contribute directly to improved team productivity, employee satisfaction and overall business agility; which all have a positive impact on the bottom line.
Ready to Transform Your Conversations?
The ASK Toolkit is more than just a set of cards; it’s a system for developing one of the most critical skills in modern leadership. It empowers you to let go of needing to know all the answers while supporting you to navigate complexity, build stronger relationships, and unlock the full potential of your team by asking the right question at the right time.
