The Bowler's Question

I first heard Steve Barone speak at Indiana Principal Leadership Academy.  He taught me lots of things about how organizations work.  He argues that all organizations must eventually change, or they stagnate and die.  He also taught me lots about building trust, the dangers of breaking trust, and the importance of creating “strong promises.”  I often find myself quoting things Steve said or wrote.

I give you this introduction as a way of giving credit to Steve for what he calls the “Bowler’s Question.”  I’m not much of a bowler, but I’ve done enough to understand why he calls it this unusual name.  If you’ve ever been bowling, you probably know how the lanes have one set of marks in the approach area and another about 10 feet down the alley.  Whereas I use the rear-back-and-chuck-it approach to bowling, good bowlers, apparently, use these marks to make adjustments all the time.  They change their footing, their spin, and which mark to hit as they release the ball.

Photo from okcmod.com

Good bowlers are always asking themselves about changes they need to make in order to get a specific result.  And this, according to Steve Barone, is the Bowler’s Question: What would it take to…?  (Insert the outcome of your choice.)  Barone advises against asking questions in important situations that result in yes or no answers, such as, “Can you finish the project by Monday?”  Ask instead, “What would it take for you to get that project finished by Monday?” 

It’s a subtle difference in the format of the question, but I have found the outcomes and responses are very, very different.

Barone says if you frame a question with a yes or no response, you severely limit the potential for getting a positive outcome.  The Bowler’s Question actually names the result you want as the outcome, but changes the options from two to unlimited.  The framing of the question still gives the receiver of the question a choice, but it is a much different kind of choice and often moves the conversation forward in positive ways. 

I encourage you to try the Bowler’s Question with your students, with your fellow teachers, with your own children, or even with your administrators to see if it helps bring about a positive outcome and good dialogue.  I would caution you to use it carefully and for something about which you care deeply because the answers you receive will often call for interesting decisions of your own.

Maybe if we all start using the Bowler’s Question, we can get shirts and shoes to match.  For our Art Department, as you can see, this would be right down their alley. 

I hear bowling is a fine art at HSE.

What would it take for you to have a great week, HSE?

Phil