Debbie McLaughlin, Head of Civil Applications and Estates
“I have really explored how I can use the learning across all aspects of my role as 90% of what I do involves a conversation.”
Over the past 2 years I have been putting into practice the learning from the Case Management Leadership Development Programme. As a senior leadership group, we had the fantastic opportunity to learn on the programme as an individual cohort and we also had the privilege to share in the Team Leaders and Supervisors development journey over the past 12 months.
I found the sessions on fierce conversations and the use of powerful questions really profound which I had first read the ‘Fierce Conversations’ book by Susan Scott around 15 years ago. It was great to reconnect with the latest version of the book and to be honest I needed to read it twice to fully immerse myself again. I now have post it notes inside to reference key learning points and examples.
I have really explored how I can use the learning across all aspects of my role as 90% of what I do involves a conversation. Whether I’m mentoring colleagues, meeting with stakeholders, or having quick check-ins with team members, I’ve seen firsthand how the right question can unlock clarity, build trust, and create momentum.
Coaching/Mentoring
I love coaching and mentoring people, and I generally support around 3/4 mentees at any one time including from the MOJ Social Mobility Programme. I have taken what I have learnt and re-shaped my approach using the strength of powerful questions. This has involved thinking about powerful questions for:
- Introductory first meetings & exploration of if we fit as a mentee/mentor.
- Setting up a learning plan.
- Supporting individual sessions on nominated subject matter.
- Bringing the relationship to a close.
I have crafted questions myself, utilised some we explored on the programme and have used some of the questions from the fabulous pack of powerful questions that we all received. Powerful questions focusing on collective attention to a situation, for connecting ideas/finding deeper insight and one’s in particular that create forward movement are key.
Meeting with internal/external stakeholders
Each week, my diary is filled with meetings, and the learning has prompted me to reflect on the effectiveness of these. More often than not, it comes down to the quality of the questions being asked. In a recent tricky meeting with an external contractor where we needed to move forward, I used:
- How can we support each other in taking the next steps?
- What unique contribution can we each make?
- What needs our immediate attention moving forward?
Touch Point Conversations
As a team we trialled the questions that were set for the Appreciate Inquiry exercise and it brought about a different conversation at the sessions which was more personal and productive. I can really see how carving out the preparation time for thinking about the right questions that someone wants to ask their manager is crucial. I also took the opportunity to think about two questions for 10 mins at the end of my last conversations to ask the following and it was great to get some very detailed and useful feedback about my impact!
When you consider my strengths:
- Looking at the positives, what helps you in your role or what helps the wider teams?
- What could I change on the shadow side that could help you in your role or help the wider teams?
Talent Progression Conversations
I crafted some new questions at a recent mentoring session to talk about career progression which worked well, and I will keep on refining them moving forward.
One of our Team Leaders left recently to take up a new role on promotion and the below bit of feedback has continued to fill my bucket:
“Your ability to ask just the right questions to get to the heart of an issue is something I really admire.”