As a manager, helping your employees succeed is a core component of your job. But as your calendar gets filled with meetings, interruptions, and other obligations, it can be challenging to know when and how to help your people. Sometimes, depending on the relationship you have with your people, they may willingly come forward with their concerns and challenges. Other times, it might not be so apparent.

By asking the right questions ahead of time and gathering more information about your employees’ skills, abilities, and motivations, you will be able to significantly lower the number of obstacles they might face during a project or work assignment. When you have the right information up front, you are better able to set your people up for success.

Here are six questions you should be asking in touch point meetings when assigning new projects or tasks. 

1. Have you done this before?  

Understand what type of experience they have before sending them out to work. Asking if employees have experience with a particular type of work can help you get them in touch with the right resources to empower them to succeed. 

2. Is there anything holding you back?  

Find out what barriers are potentially present before you officially assign them the work. What other responsibilities or tasks do your employees have? Are there any limitations that might prevent them from successfully fulfilling their responsibilities? 

3. Do you enjoy this type of work?  

Just because employees don’t enjoy something doesn’t mean that they won’t be successful at it or motivated to do it. If you can better understand how much they enjoy the work you are about to give them, you might be able to develop a strategy to keep them motivated if they need it. 

4. Do you have everything you need? 

Assuming your employees are capable of completing the task or project, do they have all the information and resources they need to succeed? Do you need to connect them with someone who has the knowledge? Make sure that your people have everything they need or create a plan for them to get it if they don’t. 

5. Do you understand the value that this work provides?  

Employees who understand what value their work brings to the organization are much more likely to be motivated to put their best level of effort into it. When assigning work, be sure to engage your people in a meaningful conversation about the value it will provide to them and to the organization.

Need some guidance on how to execute number 5? Watch this video for some tips! 

6. What can I do to make you more successful?  

As I wrote in “The 1 Question All Managers Should Ask Their Employees,” your job is to make your employees as successful as possible. Asking this question can improve not only the productivity of your employees, but also the profitability of the company! Ask the million-dollar question and empower your employees to succeed.

Touch point meetings are a crucial component in keeping your employees on track to reaching their goals, accomplishing their tasks, and helping the company succeed. Make them a priority and be sure to ask these six questions to make them as productive as possible.