Explanation: Clarity fuels performance. Without it, people work hard on the wrong things. One well-defined priority drives smarter decisions all week.

Main question: “Is anything fuzzy or unclear about your top priorities this week?”

Why it matters: Most misalignment starts with vague or misinterpreted priorities. This question brings clarity to what really deserves attention—before energy is spent.

Story: A designer once told me, “I'm adjusting this landing page but not sure if it should convert or just educate.” That simple comment uncovered a gap in our strategy. One quick clarification saved a full week of scattered work.

Leader Tip: Ask this every Monday. It trains people to show up with clarity, not confusion.

Explanation: Friction is costly. Problems don’t always get raised unless you make it easy to speak up. Normalizing the question helps uncover delays, tension, or doubts that would otherwise stay buried.

Main question: “What’s slowing you down, unclear, or holding you back?”

Story: One engineer quietly waited two weeks for a decision from another team—until we asked this question in a check-in. That same day, the block was escalated and resolved. A small question saved us from big delays.

Leader Tip: Reward clarity, not silence. Make surfacing problems a strength.

Explanation: Empowering your team means giving what’s truly needed—whether that’s feedback, backup, or simply presence in the right meeting. Asking makes it explicit and actionable.

Main question: “How can I support or empower you this week?”

Story: A PM once said, “People won’t buy into the roadmap unless you co-sign it in the stakeholder meeting.” That week, I showed up. The roadmap stuck. One simple action created team-wide alignment.

Leader Tip: Even if they say “nothing”—ask again next time. Empowerment becomes habit when modeled consistently.