This two-question combo can help you look past the validation-seekers and find the most intelligent thinkers on your team.
Shailesh Panthee, a doctor in Nepal, suggests that opening with an easy, straightforward question is a quick way to reveal who’s eager — maybe too eager — to prove themselves.
Overeager responders are often so desperate for brownie points that they forget to consider whether their contribution is even all that valuable and skip the fact-checking and analysis to go straight for the win.
If you’re a leader who wants to know who on your team is an innovative problem-solver, who knows how to think instead of merely what to think, this is the moment you’re trying to reach.
Smart people know that listening is more valuable than talking and that neither beats thinking for yourself. They try to avoid repeating the obvious so they can spend their time and energy on what requires analysis and creativity.
Being too eager opens us to error and careless mistakes. Reserve and structured thinking won’t always stand out, but they’re always worth commending.
