What Is Slowing You Down? A Better Question for Managers
- Edu-Nomad
- Jun 12
- 1 min read
Most managers have asked this question many times:
“How’s everything going?”
It is familiar, polite and easy to ask. But it often receives an automatic answer: “Fine. All good.”
In this first episode of Small Shifts at Work, we explore one small question that can help managers uncover blockers, clarify priorities and support better performance:
“What is slowing you down?”
The real value of this question lies in how it changes the conversation.
Instead of asking whether someone is okay in general, it gives them permission to name the friction: unclear priorities, delayed approvals, missing information, workload pressure, or decisions they are waiting on.
That small shift can turn a vague check-in into a practical problem-solving moment.
Try this at work
In your next team check-in, replace:
“How’s everything going?”
with:
“What is getting in the way of doing this well?”
You can also ask:
“What decision do you need to move forward?”
“What is unclear right now?”
“What would make this easier to complete well?”
About Small Shifts at Work
Small Shifts at Work is a fortnightly Edu-Nomad micro-learning series for busy professionals, managers and teams. Each short episode explores one practical workplace behaviour, question or habit that can make work clearer, more human and more effective.
Small shift. Better conversation. Better work.