Questions for employee and development conversations

Good questions open a conversation instead of implying the expected answer. Select a small number that match the purpose and leave room for follow-up. A conversation does not improve merely because a long list was completed.

Reflection and context

• What are you particularly proud of from this period?
• Which task or situation was especially challenging?
• What helped you do your work?
• Which assumption would you make differently today?
• Which results need more context?

Role, strengths, and development

• Which strengths have you used particularly well?
• Which responsibility would you like to expand?
• Which capability matters for your next development step?
• What concrete experience would support that learning?
• What would progress look like?

Collaboration and leadership

• Where does team collaboration work particularly well?
• Where is there avoidable friction or ambiguity?
• Which information or decision are you missing?
• What should the manager continue doing?
• What should the manager do differently or more often?

Goals and next steps

• Which goal currently matters most?
• Which obstacle should be resolved first?
• What support is needed, and from whom?
• What is the smallest useful next step?
• When will we review progress together?

Use questions deliberately

Share central questions in advance where possible. Both participants can then gather observations and prepare. Separate description from evaluation: first clarify what happened, then discuss its meaning and the appropriate next step.

For sensitive topics, sequence matters. Begin with the employee's perspective, add specific observations, and check whether there is a shared understanding. The outcome should be a few clear agreements, not the largest possible number of answers.