7 Questions to Ask a Frustrated Employee
Updated: Jun 16, 2022
The point is to give an opportunity for discovery and problem-solving.
- [If necessary] Let's discuss this later, after you've had a chance to collect your thoughts. How would that look?
- Please help us understand what's happening... [Open the floor, and give the person a calm atmosphere to process verbally, asking open-ended clarifying questions.]
- What are the blockers you're experiencing? [Anger often comes from having one's goals blocked.]
- How long have you been dealing with this frustration? [Reveals any long-term issues, or other players to investigate.]
- What's the most ideal solution to this situation? [If appropriate, reflect on how possible that is, and why or why not.]
- How would you solve the problem, given the facts? [They may come up with a great solution on their own, or at least change into a problem-solving gear.]
- Here's the solution we can work with. How would it look to walk that out? [Gives them time to verbally process and accept, if they can. They may need to leave work to make their own decisions.]
