Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling

• Extremely helpful to anyone who deals with people of different statuses, cultures, ages, and occupations, particularly leaders
• Written by one of the giants in organizational psychology, organization development, career development, and organizational culture
• Shows how to build trust, encourage the free flow of information, and create positive relationships and healthy organizations

We live, says Ed Schein, in a culture of Doing and Telling. In our interactions with other people, particularly when we are the boss, we tell them what we think they need to know or should do instead of building relationships with them. But telling makes people feel inferior and reduces communication and organizational effectiveness suffers.

In today’s world, a free flow of information is crucial. Anybody anywhere could have that vital idea or insight that could mean the difference between success
and disaster. Or worse—Humble Inquiry was inspired by Schein’s twenty years of work on safety in high-hazard industries and the health-care system, where honest communication can literally mean the difference between life and death.

Schein defines Humble Inquiry as “the fine art of drawing someone out, of asking questions to which you do not know the answer, of building a relationship based on curiosity and interest in the other person.” In other words, do ask, don’t tell. Humble Inquiry builds the kinds of positive, trusting, balanced relationships that encourage honest and open interactions in both our professional and personal lives.

In this seminal work, Schein explores the various types of humility, contrasts Humble Inquiry with other kinds of inquiry, shows the benefits Humble Inquiry offers in many different settings, and offers advice on overcoming the cultural, organizational, and psychological barriers that keep us from practicing it. This is a major new contribution to how we see human dynamics and relationships, presented in a compact, personal, and eminently practical way.

About the Author

Edgar H. Schein is the Society of Sloan Fellows Professor of Management Emeritus at the MIT Sloan School of Management. His previous books include Helping; Process Consultation Revisited; The Corporate Culture Survival Guide; DEC Is Dead, Long Live DEC; Organizational Culture and Leadership; and Career Anchors.