31 Investor Questions Startups Should Be Prepared to Answer

Team

  1. What holes do you have in your team and how do you plan to fill them?
  2. What do you envision your role(s) to be going forward?
  3. Why are you the right CEO (or other role you hold)? Do you plan to continue in that role in the future?
  4. If you could write your own job description, what would it say? What key job functions are you most

… [ Read more ]

Author: Elizabeth Kraus
Source: 31 Investor Questions Startups Should Be Prepared to Answer
Subject: Entrepreneurship Questions

5 Performance Review Preparation Questions

Writing and delivering performance reviews can be one of the most challenging tasks for any manager. Asking the following five questions can help.

  1. What are your goals for the discussion? Before you even begin drafting a review, consider your goals and objectives for the discussion, and evaluate how these goals may be congruent with, or opposed to, one another. For example, you may want

… [ Read more ]

Author: Ben Dattner
Source: The Key to Performance Reviews Is Preparation
Subjects: Human Resources Questions, Management Questions

15 Key Change Management (Transformation) Questions

Bring the Future to Life

  1. Case for Change. Have we convinced the organization that the status quo is unacceptable?
  2. Compelling Intent. Is our story of the future meaningful to our people and securing emotional buy-in at all levels?
  3. Credible Solutions. Are the proposed solutions appealing so the organization, and will they work in our culture?

Inspire Deep Commitment

  1. Aligned Top Team. Do we have the right

… [ Read more ]

Authors: Charles Ormiston, Manny Maceda, Michael Garstka
Source: Choreographing a Full Potential Transformation
Subject: Change Management Questions

8 Questions about Your Value-Creation Strategy

Companies collect and analyze a great deal of information in order to estimate their value-creation potential. But in our experience, that information doesn’t always help them answer the most important questions when it comes to creating a detailed value-creation strategy. Below are eight questions that we believe should inform every company’s strategy to create value. If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you … [ Read more ]

Authors: Daniel Stelter, Eric Olsen, Frank Plaschke, Gerry Hansell, Hady Farag, Jeff Kotzen
Source: Improving the Odds: Strategies for Superior Value Creation
Subjects: Finance Questions, Management Questions, Strategy Questions

Rigor-Testing Helps Gauge the Robustness and Consistency of Roadmaps Prior to Launch

Is the roadmap clearly defined, logically structured, and readily implementable?

  • Is ownership and accountability for the roadmap clearly established? Does the ownership structure tie logically to the content of the roadmap?
  • Is the roadmap logically disaggregated into regular milestones that are sufficient for review of main actions and progress against plan?
  • Are the milestones tangible enough to describe how the roadmap will really be achieved?
  • Is the timing

… [ Read more ]

Authors: Huib Kurstjens, Kimberly Powell, Massimo Busetti, Michael Shanahan, Mike Lewis, Perry Keenan
Source: Changing Change Management: A Blueprint That Takes Hold
Subject: Change Management Questions

Personal Checklist for Becoming an Effective Champion of Change

Modeling effective communication

  • Am I communicating openly and honestly, and addressing key issues directly?
  • Am I reinforcing the purpose for change in alignment with the leadership team?
  • Am I displaying positive support for the change?

Modeling effective outreach and connection

  • Am I establishing a personal connection broadly with my organization and deeply with key stakeholders?
  • Am I actively listening to concerns and soliciting feedback? Am I leveraging that information

… [ Read more ]

Authors: Huib Kurstjens, Kimberly Powell, Massimo Busetti, Michael Shanahan, Mike Lewis, Perry Keenan
Source: Changing Change Management: A Blueprint That Takes Hold
Subject: Change Management Questions

Assessment: Should We Pursue This New Project?

  1. Is the project led by a small, focused team that has relevant experience and is mentally prepared to tackle common innovation challenges, such as rapid changes in strategic direction and significant resource constraints?
  2. Has the team lived with, shopped alongside, worked next to, or otherwise invested enough time with prospective customers to develop an empathetic understanding of them?
  3. In considering new ways to serve these

… [ Read more ]

Authors: David Duncan, Pontus M.A. Siren, Scott D. Anthony
Source: Assessment: Should We Pursue This New Project?
Subjects: Customer Questions, Management Questions, Project Management Questions

4 Types of Questions

  1. Clarifying questions help us better understand what has been said. In many conversations, people speak past one another. Asking clarifying questions can help uncover the real intent behind what is said. These help us understand each other better and lead us toward relevant follow-up questions. “Can you tell me more?” and “Why do you say so?” both fall into this category. People often

… [ Read more ]

Author: Tom Pohlmann
Source: Relearning the Art of Asking Questions
Subject: Management Questions